Rooney Backs Mainoo for Knockout Clash as Scholes and Heskey Weigh in on Tuchel's Midfield Conundrum

England's Round of 32 fixture against DR Congo on July 1 is shaping up to be a selection headache for Thomas Tuchel, with former stars weighing in on how the Three Lions should line up for the knockout stage.

Wayne Rooney has made his position crystal clear: get Declan Rice into the engine room and hand Kobbie Mainoo the responsibility of running the show alongside Jude Bellingham. The former Manchester United man believes the 21-year-old possesses a rare gift that sets him apart from the competition.

"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," Rooney explained on The Wayne Rooney Show. "I think he's the only one who is capable of doing that in those tight areas."

It's a bold suggestion, particularly given that Mainoo hasn't featured in a competitive England outing since September 2004. The Manchester United midfielder impressed during the latter half of last season under Michael Carrick's stewardship, but throwing him into a World Cup knockout tie represents a significant gamble.

Emile Heskey shares Rooney's frustration with Tuchel's approach. The former Liverpool striker was bemused by the decision to introduce Jordan Henderson for the closing stages of England's 2-0 group-stage win over Panama, rather than giving Mainoo an opportunity to gain experience.

"I was surprised Jordan Henderson was in the squad," Heskey remarked. "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."

Rice was benched for that Panama encounter due to injury precautions, having won the Premier League title with Arsenal last season. The midfielder is expected to be available for the DR Congo tie, according to BBC Sport.

However, not everyone agrees with Rooney's assessment. Paul Scholes has thrown his weight behind Elliot Anderson, who is on the verge of joining Manchester City from Nottingham Forest, arguing that the midfielder should start ahead of Rice.

"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."

Scholes believes Anderson offers greater attacking intent than Rice, pointing to the Arsenal man's inability to unlock Martin Odegaard last season as a potential concern.

"I think it has to be a straight shootout between Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson, and I think I would just go with Anderson," Scholes continued. "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 Odegaard in the game, so maybe that's transferred a bit to England. I don't think that happens with Anderson."

With England boasting one of the tournament's strongest squads and an abundance of attacking talent, Tuchel faces a genuine dilemma about how best to balance defensive solidity with creative flair in midfield. Whichever way he goes, he'll have the backing of at least one former England great.