England's Right-Back Dilemma: Waddle Suggests Henderson Solution

England have reached the World Cup knockout stages, but they arrive in Mexico City with a glaring question still hanging over them: who on earth plays right-back against a ruthless, unbeaten Mexico?

Thomas Tuchel’s side squeezed past DR Congo 2-1 in the round of 32, Harry Kane dragging them over the line with two late goals that masked a laboured, disjointed display. The win booked a last‑16 showdown in the early hours of Monday morning at the Mexico City Stadium, but it also exposed a problem that refuses to go away.

The right side of England’s defence has become a triage ward.

A position cursed by injury

Tino Livramento never made it to kick-off in North America. Reece James followed him onto the treatment table once the tournament began. Jarell Quansah, another option Tuchel trusted, then succumbed to injury as well.

Now Djed Spence, the man who started at right-back against DR Congo, is a doubt too, according to reports. Four right-backs, one position. Tuchel’s plans have been shredded.

Every fresh setback shines an even harsher light on the call to leave Trent Alexander-Arnold at home. The Real Madrid full-back, once a team-mate of Quansah’s at Liverpool, was the headline omission when the squad was named. Many saw it as a gamble. Some called it a mistake.

Chris Waddle is not among them.

Waddle backs Alexander-Arnold snub

Waddle, part of the England side that reached the 1990 World Cup semi-finals, believes Tuchel’s decision on Alexander-Arnold can be justified.

“Alexander-Arnold played 30 games last season and didn’t complete enough games – so no, I wouldn't say that it was a mistake to leave him behind,” he said. “If you are going to pick him, you pick him for his quality and what he gives you, then that's fine – I understand that.”

For Waddle, the real issue sat elsewhere. England took two right-backs whose bodies have repeatedly betrayed them.

“We knew Reece James is – unfortunately, he's a top player – but he's always injured, as is Tino Livramento,” he said. “So looking at the squad straight away, you had to put a question mark over their injuries. They are injured a lot, unfortunately, and the one thing you want when you go to a tournament is a healthy squad. You've got to have players who are fit.”

He did not question their talent, only their reliability.

“When you look at the injury records of Livramento and James, they do miss a lot of football matches. So maybe taking two right-backs who are constantly injured was a risk, and the manager should have probably looked at that. As players, their quality is undeniable – they're very good players and I like them, but their track record of being injured was a red alert for me.”

The red alert has become a full-blown crisis. Tuchel now stares at a knockout tie with no specialist, fully fit right-back he can trust. Waddle’s solution is bold, pragmatic and, in his eyes, perfectly suited to how England play.

“Play Jordan Henderson at right-back”

England have dominated the ball in this tournament. They have not yet faced a heavyweight capable of pressing them back for long spells, and Waddle does not expect that to change immediately.

“With the way we play, we dominate football matches,” he said. “It’s not until we play France, Spain, or Argentina – someone of that quality – where you're going to be under real pressure. Against the teams we are playing now, he could play Jordan Henderson at right-back.”

That is the pivot in his argument. If opponents sit deep and look to counter, England do not need a flying full-back. They need a steady one.

“Tell me who has got a great winger or who plays on the front foot against England? It’s all counter-attacking, so you may as well have a passer of the ball back there. There's no reason Jordan Henderson can't play at right-back.”

Henderson, a Liverpool legend and one of the most experienced players in the squad, has barely featured in this World Cup – just six minutes so far. Throwing him in from the start against a Mexico side with a 100% record and no goals conceded would be a significant call.

But Waddle sees the logic. England, he argues, can afford a makeshift defender if it gives them more control in possession and frees up attacking players elsewhere.

“Personally, I'd put Jordan Henderson at right-back,” he said. “He's good on the ball and he's economical. He doesn't have to fly on the overlap or bomb forward. We just want somebody who can play as a right-back, get the ball, control it, and pass it, because I've not seen any team go full throttle at England yet.”

Rice at full-back, creativity in the middle?

Tuchel has already flirted with the idea of a midfielder filling in at right-back. Declan Rice shifted across during the win over DR Congo, showing that England can reshape on the fly if needed.

For Waddle, that experiment should not be dismissed as a one-off. He believes Tuchel can use the right-back problem to rebalance a midfield that has felt too safe, too repetitive.

“If you look at the rest of the squad, I know he has played Jarrel Quansah there, but why not play a midfield player there?” Waddle said. “Play Declan Rice there and put a creative midfield player in the centre instead. Put Eberechi Eze alongside Elliot Anderson, and say to them, 'look, I want you to pass. If you see a 30-, 40-, or 50-yard pass, I want you to hit it'. That is how we're going to score more goals and get the wingers into the game.”

Right now, he sees a middle third that recycles rather than penetrates.

“Because at the minute, you've got two midfield players who are exactly the same, and it’s all 10-yard passes,” he said. “By the time the ball shuffles out to the wing, it’s too late. You want somebody in the middle of the park who's brave, who wants to get on the ball and distribute it long-range.”

The message is clear: use the enforced reshuffle at right-back to inject imagination into the heart of the team. Accept a compromise in one area to unlock another.

A huge call in the lion’s den

Mexico, roared on as one of the three co-hosts, have been ruthless so far: three wins from three, no goals conceded, a crowd that will turn the Mexico City Stadium into a cauldron for a 1am UK-time kick-off.

Into that noise, Tuchel must send a side with a patched-up back line and a right flank held together by improvisation. He can stick with a defender playing out of position, push Rice wide again, or take Waddle’s route and hand the job to Henderson.

Whatever he chooses, it will say a lot about how he sees this England team: cautious and rigid, or adaptable and brave enough to let a midfield creator loose in the middle while a veteran Liverpool icon quietly locks down the right.