Scholes urges Tuchel to drop Arsenal star from England World Cup team

Paul Scholes has urged Thomas Tuchel to drop Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice from England’s World Cup team.

After topping Group L with seven points from a possible nine, England face DR Congo on Wednesday evening in what they hope will be the first of several knockout games.

Tuchel, who is bidding to end 60 years of hurt out in the United States, oversaw an impressive 4-2 win over Croatia in England’s World Cup opener.

But England were more underwhelming in their last two group games, failing to break down Ghana in a drab draw before taking over an hour to break the deadlock against Panama, eventually running out 2-0 winners.

Arsenal title winner Rice missed the Panama game, partly due to an ongoing injury issue and also as he was at risk of suspension for the last-32 game after picking up a yellow card against Ghana.

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Rice, one of the best and most consistent midfielders in the world, is expected to return to England’s starting line-up against DR Congo but Scholes would leave him on the bench.

‘England don’t need to play two sitting midfielders in the next game,’ Scholes said on The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast.

‘No disrespect to Congo but in those type of games you play as many attackers as possible. I think it has to be a straight shootout between Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson, and I think I would just go with Anderson.

‘I think he will pass it forward a bit more. Think about Rice with Arsenal… look, he’s a great player and a great leader, I get all that, and you’d rather him in your team than not most of the time.

‘But Arsenal didn’t play great football last season either, did they? Rice couldn’t get [Martin] Odegaard in the game, so maybe that’s transferred a bit to England. I don’t think that happens with Anderson.’

‘Across the three games I don’t think I’ve seen a team that will win the World Cup.

‘It hasn’t been great but look, they could get better and they’re winning games and I do think they’ve got match winners in the team.

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Scholes’ former Manchester United and England teammate Nicky Butt has also urged Tuchel to pick only one ‘sitting midfielder’ but would start Rice over Anderson, the Nottingham Forest star who is set to join Manchester City in a deal worth £116m.

‘You can’t play two sitting midfielders against teams who aren’t going to have any of the possession,’ Butt said.

‘I’d definitely play Declan Rice in the next game so I would leave Elliot Anderson out.

‘I think he’s been brilliant and is a top, top, top player which is why Man City have gone and paid £120m for him.

England’s last-32 opponents DR Congo finished third in Group K after beating Uzbekistan, drawing with Portugal and losing to Colombia.

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