Lineker warns Declan Rice his England place may not be safe

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Gary Lineker has suggested that Declan Rice's place in the England starting XI could come under threat after a standout debut performance from Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott.

Rice is not part of Thomas Tuchel's squad for the current international break, having withdrawn due to workload concerns. In his absence, Scott was handed his first England start against Croatia on Saturday, days after making his debut as a substitute against Serbia, and played a central role in a record-breaking 7-0 win in Rijeka.

Scott will not feature against Czechia on Tuesday after picking up an injury just before the weekend fixture, a problem that is expected to sideline him for around two months.

Lineker: 'Declan's place is not always assured'

Speaking on The Rest is Football podcast, as reported by football.london, Lineker was effusive about what he saw from the 22-year-old debutant.

"What an assured performance we saw from Alex Scott," the former England striker said. "I watched him quite closely and it's obviously only one game against a team who didn't play very well on the night, but he was a big part of the game. If you look at the great teams that win tournaments, they have control in games and I think Alex Scott is a player we haven't necessarily seen within that England midfield."

Lineker then drew the direct comparison with the Arsenal man. "Declan Rice has his strengths and is brilliant with his delivery and work-rate, but there's a calmness and control to Scott, he never gives the ball away and he's always scanning," he added. "I was really impressed; what a very, very confident start to his England career."

"I wonder what Thomas Tuchel is going to do because Alex Scott has that kind of control and Declan Rice's a totally different player. Does it give him a different option now and does it mean, perhaps, that Declan's place is not always assured? Maybe he will want to play slightly differently with someone like Alex Scott. It might be a bit early to say that but it's a conversation to be had."

Tuchel's verdict on the new option

Rice has been a fixture in Tuchel's side, starting matches at the World Cup even when he was not fully fit. The England boss was glowing in his assessment of Scott after the Croatia result, saying: "First start and what a start, what a performance. He is so smooth on the ball, his decision making is at the highest level. He plays with so much confidence."

Tuchel added: "He is so active, so confident. The work rate off the ball. He is just the complete package. He gave us a lot of mobility and a lot of variety and work rate in the centre of the pitch."

Scott, who missed out on England's World Cup squad, said the omission "gave me more hunger" while acknowledging the strength of the competition for places.

With Scott facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines, Rice will return to club duty with Arsenal before England's next gathering, where the midfield debate will resume.