England midfielder Declan Rice has said he hopes he will not have to fill the problematic right-back slot again after playing the "hardest 12 minutes" of the 2-1 win over Congo DR in the position.
The Arsenal star was moved out wide late in the game as head coach Thomas Tuchel made attacking substitutions to help the team turn around a 1-0 deficit with two goals from Harry Kane in the last 15 minutes.
Having lost Tino Livramento to injury before the tournament and then seen Reece James and Jarell Quansah, primarily a centre-back, ruled out by injury, Djed Spence started on the right of defence but struggled and was replaced to prompt the Rice change.
"It was probably the hardest 12 minutes of the game having a stint at right-back," Rice told the BBC.
"In games like that it was probably too much of a basketball match at times, back and forth, and we had to take the sting out of it because they have fast wingers. I think we made more hard work of it than we needed to.
"I have played there two or three times this season, I know the role, it is probably not my biggest strength, but to do anything for the team and the manager.
"[With] 12 minutes left I said I would do my best and I think I did well there. Let's see what happens next game, but hopefully I don't have to be at right back."
However, former England striker Alan Shearer believes the change is a genuine option for Tuchel.
"Putting Rice into right-back position worked as he is the one who got forward and played a part in the goal as well," he told the BBC.
"He [Tuchel] has a decision to make as to whether he thinks about putting Declan Rice into a right-back position.
"If you'd asked me about that before the game I'd have been very reluctant to have done that, but he adds quality in that position and we've lacked that with the players he has picked up to now."
Wayne Rooney felt Tuchel should have gone further and called up an experienced replacement -- having opted to leave Real Madrid's Trent Alexander-Arnold at home -- as soon as he knew he had an issue.
"We've seen before where players have come out of retirement. The minute Livramento got injured I think he should have been right on the phone to Kyle Walker," the former England skipper said.
"Kyle is more than good enough and more than capable of playing in this England team. I would have been on the phone to him saying, 'we need you here, can you come out and help us' because that could really cost us and I'm worried on that."
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Asked whether Spence should start again in the round-of-16 tie against co-hosts Mexico on home soil, Rooney added: "I'm ruling him out, I think he's had a bad game."
Ex-Manchester City right-back Micah Richards felt it would be a mistake to remove Rice from midfield.
"If you want to go with Rice at right-back you lose his pace and power in midfield. He can give too much in the central midfield area," he said.
"If you are going into the Mexico game, which is at altitude as well, you need his energy in midfield.
"I'd probably go with [Ezri] Konsa at right-back and put [John] Stones alongside [Marc] Guéhi."
