Djed Spence reveals he will have to play whole World Cup in protective mask

England full-back Djed Spence has revealed he will play the entire World Cup in a mask as his broken jaw sustained in a “crazy challenge” will take three months to heal.

The versatile 25-year-old got the nod for Thomas Tuchel’s England squad ahead of fellow left-backs Lewis Hall and Luke Shaw following a topsy-turvy club campaign.

Spence made his England debut in last September’s 5-0 win in Serbia and has stayed part of the set-up ever since, despite struggling Tottenham only scraping Premier League survival on the final day.

The full-back had to wear a protective mask in the season finale against Everton, having suffered a broken jaw five days earlier in a challenge with Chelsea striker Liam Delap, a blow he has to manage through the World Cup.

“It’s a little bit uncomfortable, but it is what it is,” Spence said, having provided the assist for Harry Kane’s winner in Saturday’s 1-0 friendly victory over New Zealand in Tampa.

“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.

“Three months until it’s fully healed, so it’s a long time.

“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. I wore it against Everton, last game of the season.”

Asked if he was surprised Delap was not sent off, Spence said: “Yeah, crazy challenge, but it’s in the past now so just got to focus on this tournament now.”

Spence never feared missing out on the World Cup due to the injury, saying “it was painful but luckily I play football with my feet and not my jaw”.

But his club’s form could easily have dented his England ambitions, with Thomas Frank, Igor Tudor and Roberto De Zerbi all taking