England manager Thomas Tuchel has been heavily criticised for his 'ridiculous' decision to include Chelsea defender Reece James in the World Cup squad without providing sufficient cover at right-back. The 26-year-old, who has a history of injuries, started England's first two group matches but has been sidelined since with a hamstring problem. He missed the final training session ahead of the last-16 clash against Mexico and remains on an individual programme away from the squad, casting major doubt on his availability for the quarter-finals if England progress.
Jenas questions squad selection
Former England midfielder Jermaine Jenas, speaking to 10bet, expressed bewilderment at Tuchel's approach. 'I think taking Reece James to a major tournament with no real backup is just ridiculous,' Jenas said. 'I love Reece James, I think everybody loves Reece James as a footballer, but taking him on the basis of, “Well, I’ve got Djed Spence that can fill in there” – I mean…' Jenas also criticised the omission of Real Madrid's Trent Alexander-Arnold, calling him 'easily one of our 26 best players' and highlighting England's lack of creativity. 'How Trent Alexander-Arnold is out of this squad, only he knows. But he’s gambling it all on that,' Jenas added.
Desailly echoes concerns
French World Cup winner Marcel Desailly, speaking to Sportscasting, similarly questioned Tuchel's right-back choices. 'I am a little bit surprised on the right side of the defence, and the limited options England have,' Desailly said. 'Reece James… we know he’s going to get injured. You have the statistics, you know it.' Desailly noted that while James is intelligent and capable on his day, his physicality is a major worry. He also questioned the exclusion of Alexander-Arnold, describing him as 'a technical weapon' with key deliveries. 'For me, the decision not to take Alexander-Arnold looks really strange when you see the limited options available to Tuchel in the absence of James,' Desailly added.
England's right-back woes
With James unavailable and Tuchel opting not to select Alexander-Arnold, Djed Spence is expected to start against Mexico. Long-term right-back Kyle Walker retired from international duty before the tournament, further depleting options. In the previous round against DR Congo, Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice was forced to fill in at right-back during the latter stages. Jenas viewed this as an admission of flawed squad planning. 'I don't think he needed Declan at right-back to be the thing that stands out,' Jenas said.
Tuchel's gamble
Jenas suggested Tuchel is taking a high-risk approach. 'In his mind, he’s, “If I don’t win, I don’t care if I get sacked because that’s my objective.” He’s not an England manager that’s looking for longevity,' Jenas explained. 'He’s coming in and going, “I’m going to do it my way, and if I get sacked after Mexico, I get sacked, but I gave it a go.”' Desailly speculated that Tuchel may have excluded Alexander-Arnold to create a different group dynamic, but noted that James' injury history made his unavailability predictable. 'You knew out of the six matches you were supposed to play, when you look at the stats, you knew that he was going to be unavailable for a couple of matches because of his physical problems,' Desailly said.
England's World Cup campaign
England topped Group L with two wins and a draw before a late comeback victory over DR Congo. Mexico, co-hosts of the tournament, have been formidable, winning Group A with a perfect record and conceding no goals before defeating Ecuador. The last-16 match will test England's defensive depth as they face a strong Mexican side.
