Rice missed the final group game against Panama due to calf issue, but he is widely expected to return for the round of 32 against DR Congo. However, Scholes questioned whether the Arsenal star provides enough forward momentum for this specific England side.
Speaking on The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast, Scholes said: "England donât need to play two sitting midfielders in the next game. 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."
The former Manchester United man added: "I think he [Anderson] will pass it forward a bit more. Think about Rice with Arsenal⊠look, heâs a great player and a great leader, I get all that, and youâd rather him in your team than not most of the time. But Arsenal didnât play great football last season either, did they? Rice couldnât get [Martin] Odegaard in the game, so maybe thatâs transferred a bit to England. I donât think that happens with Anderson."
Scholes delivered a blunt assessment of Englandâs overall prospects, suggesting they are currently well behind defending champions Argentina and fellow 2022 finalists France. The lack of fluidity in the group stages has left the legendary playmaker worried about the tougher tests awaiting in the bracket.
"It wasnât great, was it?" Scholes said of the Panama victory. "Across the three games I donât think Iâve seen a team that will win the World Cup. It hasnât been great but look, they could get better and theyâre winning games and I do think theyâve got match winners in the team. I just donât think theyâre at the level of France or Argentina yet."
While Scholes is advocating for the inclusion of Anderson, who is reportedly close to a massive ÂŁ116m move to Manchester City, his former teammate Nicky Butt holds a different view. Butt agrees that Tuchel should only use one defensive midfielder but insists that Rice is the one player who cannot be touched.
Butt explained: "You canât play two sitting midfielders against teams who arenât going to have any of the possession. Iâd definitely play Declan Rice in the next game so I would leave Elliot Anderson out. I think heâs been brilliant and is a top, top, top player which is why Man City have gone and paid ÂŁ120m for him, [but] I just donât think you can leave Declan Rice out. Heâs one of those players you just donât leave out."
Speaking on The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast, Scholes said: "England donât need to play two sitting midfielders in the next game. 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."
The former Manchester United man added: "I think he [Anderson] will pass it forward a bit more. Think about Rice with Arsenal⊠look, heâs a great player and a great leader, I get all that, and youâd rather him in your team than not most of the time. But Arsenal didnât play great football last season either, did they? Rice couldnât get [Martin] Odegaard in the game, so maybe thatâs transferred a bit to England. I donât think that happens with Anderson."
Scholes delivered a blunt assessment of Englandâs overall prospects, suggesting they are currently well behind defending champions Argentina and fellow 2022 finalists France. The lack of fluidity in the group stages has left the legendary playmaker worried about the tougher tests awaiting in the bracket.
"It wasnât great, was it?" Scholes said of the Panama victory. "Across the three games I donât think Iâve seen a team that will win the World Cup. It hasnât been great but look, they could get better and theyâre winning games and I do think theyâve got match winners in the team. I just donât think theyâre at the level of France or Argentina yet."
While Scholes is advocating for the inclusion of Anderson, who is reportedly close to a massive ÂŁ116m move to Manchester City, his former teammate Nicky Butt holds a different view. Butt agrees that Tuchel should only use one defensive midfielder but insists that Rice is the one player who cannot be touched.
Butt explained: "You canât play two sitting midfielders against teams who arenât going to have any of the possession. Iâd definitely play Declan Rice in the next game so I would leave Elliot Anderson out. I think heâs been brilliant and is a top, top, top player which is why Man City have gone and paid ÂŁ120m for him, [but] I just donât think you can leave Declan Rice out. Heâs one of those players you just donât leave out."
