England's subs can be key against France, says Hoddle

LONDON: England's depth on the substitutes bench could tip the balance in their favour in Saturday's (Dec 10) World Cup quarter-final against France, according to former manager Glenn Hoddle.

Head coach Gareth Southgate has an enviable array of options, especially in the attacking third, and has utilised his squad to great effect in Qatar, with England scoring 12 goals already in four games.

The focus will again be on Southgate's starting line-up on Saturday, with the likes of Marcus Rashford, Bukayo Saka, Jack Grealish and Phil Foden all in contention to start alongside captain and chief goalscorer Harry Kane.

But Hoddle, who led England at the France 1998 tournament, says England's ability to make attacking changes when things get tight could be the key to the outcome.

"I can see this one going to extra time, but I think England will win it with their subs," Hoddle, an analyst and ambassador for betting firm Betfair, said on Friday.

"England have got players that can come on and be very important, because it might be a tighter game than they've been used to. It could be a game that England have to come back into, which is something they've not experienced yet.

"France rested a lot of players against Tunisia, and you could see their frailties in that match. They haven't got the depth that England have got, particularly going forward, and this game could be tight.

"The subs will be brought on for a different reason than previous games, and they'll be brought on to go and win this game or save the game."

While England's depth is underlined by the fact that they have had eight different scorers so far, France possess arguably the greatest match-winner in Kylian Mbappe.

"I think France are a very good side. Are they the outstanding