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  "path": "/2026/07/01/arsenal-star-declan-rice-englands-world-cup-solution-right-back-28982747/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-07-01T06:00:00.000Z",
  "site": "https://metro.co.uk",
  "tags": [
    "Football",
    "Opinion",
    "Bukayo Saka",
    "Declan Rice",
    "England men's football team",
    "Ivan Toney",
    "Jude Bellingham",
    "Marcus Rashford",
    "Thomas Tuchel",
    "World Cup",
    "David James",
    "England",
    "Champions League",
    "Real Madrid",
    "Sign up",
    "Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google\nAdd as preferred source"
  ],
  "textContent": "Rice expected to be fit for tonight’s game (Picture: Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images)\n\n_In his exclusive column for**Metro** , former England World Cup star David James looks ahead to today’s last 32 showdown with DR Congo and how Thomas Tuchel might solve his issue at right-back with Reece James out._\n\nJude Bellingham was the outstanding player for England against Panama. Having him not play in the latter stages of the Champions League with Real Madrid, I think we are benefitting from a player who did not have to be as hugely competitive late on in the season.\n\nHe looks fresher than he has done in any other tournament. He looks hungry and he is creating so many opportunities. It was an instinctive and cute finish from him, there was so much quality in it. He is thriving in this environment.\n\n## England’s wingers and the problem they face\n\n##  Don't miss a World Cup moment\n\nEngland updates, match previews and exclusive analysis. Get it all in our daily World Cup newsletter. Sign up.\n\nAgainst Panama, I had no concerns at half time, we knew it was going to be a sticky game. It wasn’t too good a result to get carried away with but it wasn’t bad so I was more than happy.\n\nIn the first-half, I thought the wingers attacking constantly in one vs one situations was detrimental to England. Bukayo Saka started and it wasn’t quite working. It was the same with Marcus Rashford. It was encouraging to have them back but I think the set up from Panama worked to neutralise that attack.\n\nThere was this hunger from both of them to go take players on but when you look at the goals, one was from a corner and the other was from a cute bit of play and a fantastic cross Bellingham, exactly the opposite of what those two players in Saka and Rashford were doing in running directly at the opposition.\n\nSaka and Rashford started against Panama (Picture: Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)\n\nBut it is reassuring that they are confident enough to try and take these situations on. There will be opportunities where those situations open up for that to happen and that will be the time when we see success from it. We want perfect play every game as fans but what the team seems to be doing is learning after each game. Elliot Anderson was another picking up the ball, running along with it a lot when maybe passing it quicker would have been more conducive. But they seemed to learn more and more as the games go.\n\nRegarding Saka, I didn’t have any concerns with the fitness side of things. And as we’ve seen, it is so important that players are prepared to start games rather than coming off the bench because it is very fundamentally different. Saka and Rashford were two very eager players. But you would rather them do that than not do anything in the game and be anonymous or have no impact off the bench.\n\nIt is part of this learning experience of the tournament and knowing what the expectation is. With Saka, it was very important he started given the questions over whether he was fully fit prior to the game. It was an important game for him.\n\n## Solutions at right-back – could Declan Rice be the answer?\n\nLosing Reece James for these games is a blow. But Thomas Tuchel has put a squad together that should facilitate all these potential setbacks. This will be the test of the squad now. It has inevitably raised the questions over whether he should have brought this player in or bought that player in. But the squad must deal with it.\n\nJames is expected to miss the game tonight (Picture: Getty Images)\n\nI’ve made the point since the beginning, I don’t think this is an England side that is afraid to concede a goal. Because they believe they will score more. Even against Mexico, Argentina, Ecuador, Spain, whoever it may be should we progress, the need for a clean sheet is less important than the need to score multiple goals. There will be a confidence in that. It feels like a different squad mentality. If the defensive unit isn’t the first choice or ideal back four, I don’t think it’s going to be a major problem.\n\nDeclan Rice did play at right-back for Arsenal a couple of times last season – for me, it’s shades of Dominik Szoboszlai at right-back for Liverpool. If it were to be an option you would still have Elliot Anderson and Bellingham in midfield and I think if your squad is strong enough like ours is, you could facilitate that. You’re taking care of a position in need but you still have the quality in your natural positions. We have the strength and the quality. I think there is definitely a way for Thomas to set up the XI in the right way.\n\n## Toney time against DR Congo?\n\nThe Congo squad has a few familiar faces from the Premier League in it and they are a good unit. But one area England are far superior in is pace. There will be large periods of the game where England are in possession and Congo are in their defensive unit but little things like that threat of pace that England have over them will scare them.\n\nToney desperate for a starting role (Picture: Joe Prior/Visionhaus via Getty Images)\n\nIf the game pans out the way it did against Ghana and Panama, it could be the first time we see Ivan Toney. These are the players who know their role under Thomas Tuchel and I wouldn’t be surprised if in the back of his mind, he is thinking they might need to adopt that set up.\n\nI am confident we go through and hope it will be comfortable. But we don’t need to be in a situation where we end up facing penalties. England could find themselves in a situation again where Congo are defending for their lives. It might not look pretty again. The idea it will be a walkover is far too optimistic.\n\nComment now Comments \nAdd Metro as a Preferred Source on Google\nAdd as preferred source\n",
  "title": "Arsenal star Declan Rice could be England’s World Cup solution at right-back"
}