Former England star names the player Thomas Tuchel must pick to stop Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi has been rolling back the years at the World Cup (Picture: Getty)

Thomas Tuchel

has been instructed to select one of

England

’s most criticised players in an effort to end

Lionel Messi

’s

World Cup

dreams.

Argentina and their mercurial captain stand between the Three Lions and place in Sunday’s final against either Spain or France.

Messi, in what will almost certainly be his last World Cup, has rolled back the years and inspired his side to the latter stages of the tournament with a series of inspirational displays.

England have been forced to chop and change their defensive line-up throughout the tournament but with the finishing line in sight, aside from the suspended Jarrell Quansah, Tuchel is now playing with a full deck of cards.

Reece James

’ return to fitness has provided a welcome shot in the arm givenEngland’s shortage at right-back, while Nico O’Reilly has grown in stature on the opposite flank the longer the competition has progressed.

Former England and

Arsenal

striker Jay Bothroyd, however, believes Djed Spence in the defender best qualified to deal with the threat of Messi.

The

Tottenham

star has shown flashes of attacking potential but Bothroyd is confident his aptitude in one-on-one situations means he should get the not at left-back.

Nico O’Reilly has starred at left-back for England at the World Cup (Picture: Getty)

‘Especially when he plays on the left-hand side,’ Bothroyd told

Sky Sports

when asked when he has been most impressed by Spence.

‘It’s funny because he’s a right-footed defender but when he plays left-back it seems he does better.

‘When you look at this game against Argentina, Messi is going to be manoeuvring around that right side and into central areas a lot more than being on the left-hand side.

‘I feel like if you’ve got Spence in that position, I feel like as a one-on-one defender there’s not better than him out there.

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Djed Spence could be tasked with taming Lionel Messi (Picture: Getty)

‘A defender where you’re talking about positionally maybe so but he is the defender who has that recovery pace, he’s one of the fastest in the England team.

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