Tottenham Hotspur defender Djed Spence will be required to wear a protective face mask for the entirety of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The 24-year-old full-back suffered a broken jaw following a challenge by Chelsea's Liam Delap in the penultimate match of the Premier League season, but he remains determined to represent England on the grandest stage.
Spence Refuses to Let Injury Derail Dream
Despite the painful setback, Spence has refused to allow his aspirations of playing for England at the World Cup to be compromised. He acknowledged that it has been a challenging season for Spurs, who spent much of the campaign battling relegation. However, Spence now finds himself in the United States, preparing for the tournament with a protective mask, and he is adamant that it will not hinder his performance.
When questioned about whether the injury could jeopardise his place in the squad, Spence responded: "No, not really. It was painful but luckily I play football with my feet and not my jaw so I was all good. I've been wearing it in training, getting used to it in the heat and just trying to fit it in properly so I've been trying to break it in. It's a little bit uncomfortable. But it is what it is, I've got a broken jaw so I have to wear it throughout the tournament so it's something I will have to get used to."
Injury Details and Recovery Timeline
The injury occurred after a robust challenge from Delap, but the Spurs defender was never going to let it prevent him from fulfilling his World Cup ambitions. Reflecting on the incident, Spence said: "Yeah, crazy challenge but it's in the past now so just got to focus on this tournament now. I've got to wear it through the tournament. It's three months until it's fully healed. So, it's a long time."
Gratitude to Thomas Tuchel
Spence earned his place in the 26-man squad after a gruelling season that saw him lose his starting spot, struggle with form, and face setbacks that led many to doubt his inclusion. However, he provided an assist for Harry Kane in England's friendly victory over New Zealand and expressed gratitude to manager Thomas Tuchel for his faith.
"Yeah, it shows the manager believes in me, believes in my quality and I'm thankful for him and I just want to keep on putting in the performances to make everyone happy. It's a huge honour, to play for your country is a big thing and I'm over the moon and happy to be here," Spence stated.
He added: "Yeah, it's been a difficult season. There's always light at the end of the tunnel and we managed to get out of a difficult situation so we have to move forward. Like I said, focus on this World Cup and hopefully it will be a good one."
Versatility and Strengths
England boss Tuchel has identified Spence as the fastest player in the squad and praised his one-on-one defensive capabilities. Another key attribute is his versatility; Spence began his career as a right-back but now primarily operates as a left-back. His ability to cut inside and deliver crosses with his right foot from the left flank has become a trademark move, as demonstrated by his assist for Kane.
Spence explained: "Obviously I'm naturally a right back but I've been playing left back for a couple of years now so I'm still learning the position, still trying to get better but versatility is a good strength to have. I haven't played on the right for a long time but it's still a strong position for me and hopefully I might be out there on the right in this tournament but if not then I'm happy to be there on the left."
He continued: "It is my position now on the left so I just have to practice more and there are things to perfect and hopefully produce more assists like that one for the rest of the tournament. Everyone knows how good I am one v one, but going forward is a bit different playing on the left because it's not my natural side going forward. There's still stuff I can improve on and I've got to try and get more numbers in attack."
