Rooney tells Tuchel to start Man Utd star for England vs DR Congo and gives Declan Rice advice | OneFootball

Wayne Rooney has explained why England manager Thomas Tuchel should include Kobbie Mainoo in the starting line-up against DR Congo, with the former Manchester United star also believing that Declan Rice should start for the Three Lions.

England will take on DR Congo in the Round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup on July 1.

The Three Lions have a better team and will head into the clash as huge favourites.

England have one of the better squads at the World Cup and have an embarrassment of riches in midfield and in attack.

Against Panama in their final group game, Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice did not start for England.

Tuchel decided to put Rice, who won the Premier League title with Arsenal last season, on the bench at the start of the game.

That was due to the midfielder having had injury concerns in the build-up to the match against Panama, which England won 2-0.

Rice is expected to be fit and available for England’s Round of 16 tie against DR Congo, according to BBC Sport.

Former Man Utd and England international star Rooney believes that Rice should start for the Three Lions.

Rooney, though, wants England manager Tuchel to drop Elliot Anderson from the starting line-up and play Man Utd midfielder Kobbie Mainoo.

Mainoo, who had a superb second half of last season for Man Utd under manager Michael Carrick, has not played a competitive game for England since September 2004.

Throwing the 21-year-old into a World Cup knockout game would be a big call for Tuchel, but Rooney wants the German manager to do just that and has explained why.

Rooney wants Kobbie Mainoo to start for England vs DR Congo

Rooney said on The Wayne Rooney Show: “I’d go with Declan Rice sitting, and I’d go with Mainoo and Jude Bellingham.

“Mainoo can give you a bit of both, but in tight areas, that’s Mainoo’s biggest strength – his feet in tight areas, and then he has got a little pass.

“I think he’s the only one who is capable of doing that in those tight areas.”

Former Liverpool and England international striker Emile Heskey has said that he was surprised to see Tuchel bring on Brentford midfielder Jordan Henderson instead of Mainoo for the closing stages of the win against Panama.

Heskey said: “I was surprised Jordan Henderson was in the squad.

“And to see out the game you bring on a 30-something-year-old and not a 20-something-year-old to do the same.

“He probably has three more tournaments ahead of him and can grow into the tournament. I’m not sure how I’d feel as Kobbie Mainoo.”

Paul Scholes does not want Declan Rice to start

Former Man Utd and England international midfielder Paul Scholes believes that Tuchel should pick Anderson, who is close to leaving Nottingham Forest for Manchester City, over Rice against DR Congo.

“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.”