Former England and Arsenal striker Jay Bothroyd has urged Thomas Tuchel to select Tottenham's Djed Spence to neutralize Lionel Messi in the World Cup semi-final against Argentina. The match, set for Wednesday, will determine who faces Spain or France in Sunday's final.
Spence's one-on-one defending praised
Bothroyd highlighted Spence's strength in one-on-one situations, particularly when playing at left-back despite being right-footed. 'I feel like if you've got Spence in that position, there's no better one-on-one defender out there,' Bothroyd told Sky Sports. 'He has recovery pace and is one of the fastest in the England team.'
Messi's threat and England's defensive options
Messi, in what is likely his last World Cup, has inspired Argentina with a series of standout performances. England have dealt with defensive disruptions throughout the tournament but now have a full squad available, aside from suspended Jarrell Quansah. Reece James has returned from injury, and Nico O'Reilly has grown in stature at left-back, but Bothroyd believes Spence is best suited to handle Messi's movement from the right flank into central areas.
'Messi is going to be manoeuvring around that right side and into central areas more than being on the left,' Bothroyd added. 'Every player on that pitch will want to get close to him and nullify his abilities.'
Tuchel's decision looms
Tuchel must decide whether to deploy Spence, who has shown attacking potential but faced criticism, as a specialist defender against the Argentine captain. The semi-final in Atlanta carries high security risks, according to reports.
