Time to drop them — Gary Neville urges Tuchel to bench 2 England players

Neville has urged England manager Thomas Tuchel to drop Anthony Gordon and Djed Spence for the Three Lions’ final Group B match against Panama.

Despite leading the group after two matches, a 4-2 win over Croatia followed by a frustrating 0-0 draw against Ghana, England are yet to secure qualification for the Round of 16.

Speaking on Sky Sports, Neville called for a change on the left side of the pitch, particularly if Panama set up defensively.

"I don’t want to criticise Anthony Gordon too harshly because I believe he is a talented player,” Neville said.

“He has faced two challenging games, but I didn’t think Marcus Rashford should be positioned on that left side. I genuinely believe it should be Morgan Rogers.

"I am in favour of Morgan Rogers playing from that left side. I think we need someone who can connect better on that flank for us.”

Neville emphasised the need for more creativity against a potential low block:“Someone with greater game intelligence. Rashford and Gordon possess explosive qualities.

"They are the type of players you would want on the pitch for counter-attacks, but if Panama proves to be tough to break down, we will require players who can offer more creativity and subtlety in their play.”

On the full-back position, Neville added: “I have a lot of respect for Djed Spence; I see that he works diligently, but I think Nico O’Reilly will likely return to the lineup. Therefore, I would prefer to see Nico O’Reilly and Morgan Rogers on that left side.”

Gordon has started both of England’s matches so far and was particularly disappointing against Ghana, while Spence started only against Ghana.