Former England defender Micah Richards has called on manager Thomas Tuchel to drop Arsenal winger Noni Madueke from the starting lineup following a lacklustre display in England's 2-1 round-of-32 victory over DR Congo. Speaking to the BBC, Richards argued that Bukayo Saka, who has been managing an Achilles injury, must return to the side for the last-16 clash against Mexico at the Azteca Stadium.
England Scrape Past DR Congo
England fell behind early when Brian Cipenga scored in the seventh minute, but a second-half brace from captain Harry Kane secured a comeback win. Despite the victory, Tuchel's side looked disjointed and lacked creativity, with Marcus Rashford and Madueke particularly ineffective in wide areas. Madueke, who started the tournament brightly against Croatia, has failed to replicate that form in subsequent matches against Ghana and DR Congo.
Richards: Saka Must Start Even If Not Fully Fit
Richards was unequivocal about the need for change. 'If Saka is fit, Saka has to start – it's as simple as that. Even if he's 80 per cent fit, he has to start,' he said. He also praised Anthony Gordon's impact off the bench on the left flank, suggesting Rashford should be replaced. Saka, England's usual first-choice right winger, has had his minutes managed due to a lingering Achilles issue but started the final group game against Panama.
Rooney Calls for Midfield Balance
Wayne Rooney also weighed in on England's tactical issues, urging Tuchel to deploy two holding midfielders. 'We're getting to that stage of the competition where we've seen we've been wide open and there are big spaces in the middle of the pitch. So whichever two it is, he has to keep two midfielders in the middle of the pitch,' Rooney said. He highlighted the difficulty of the upcoming match against Mexico, played at high altitude in Mexico City, which he described as potentially England's toughest test of the tournament.
Altitude a Major Concern
Both Kane and Tuchel acknowledged the challenge of playing at altitude with only three days' recovery. 'My understanding is we cannot adapt to the altitude. It's a huge advantage Mexico have. There's not enough time. We knew that before. It's just a disadvantage with which we will have to deal,' Kane said. Tuchel echoed this, stating: 'The altitude will be a big disadvantage because we cannot physically adapt to it. It just takes too much time. We have only three days in between these matches. It's physically just not possible to adapt to the altitude.'
England's Path Forward
England now face co-hosts Mexico in the last 16, a side buoyed by passionate home support. Despite the challenges, England have shown resilience, finding ways to win even when not at their best. Rooney noted, 'I've got no doubt England are a better team than Mexico, but what Mexico have is the fans, the emotion of playing in front of their fans. We see it with the football and the boxing, everyone comes together for their sport and that is going to be the challenge for England to play against.'
