Ian Wright believes Djed Spence is the leading candidate to replace Reece James at right-back when England face Panama in their final World Cup group-stage clash.
England have been dealt a blow after James sustained a hamstring injury, ruling him out of Saturday’s encounter in New York as well as the Three Lions’ last-32 fixture next week.
Thomas Tuchel’s options at right-back have been further limited after Tino Livramento suffered a tournament-ending injury. Although Trevoh Chalobah, Ezri Konsa and Jarell Quansah are all capable of filling the role, Spence is widely expected to get the opportunity.
The Tottenham defender featured in Tuchel’s starting line-up against Ghana, operating on the left side of defence ahead of Nico O’Reilly, showcasing his versatility.
Speaking on ITV, Wright backed Spence to step into the vacant right-back position while also calling for Bukayo Saka to return to the starting XI on the right wing to provide England with greater attacking intent.
“Reece has had those injury issues, and Thomas knows him well. He hoped he’d be fit enough, but unfortunately that’s not the case,” Wright said.
“I think Djed Spence deserves the chance, and with Saka coming back after a rest, England can offer much more going forward. We’ll miss Reece’s quality from set-pieces, but I believe there are enough players to compensate for that.”
Saka has started England’s last two matches on the bench, with his Arsenal teammate Noni Madueke preferred against Croatia and Ghana. The winger has been carefully managed after recovering from an Achilles problem that forced him to miss five games for Arsenal in April.
The 24-year-old is now pushing for a recall against Panama, while Marcus Rashford is also hoping to earn a start on the left flank after Anthony Gordon struggled to make a significant impact in the opening matches.
