England Defender Djed Spence to Feature With Face Mask at World Cup
England defender Djed Spence has revealed he will wear a protective face mask throughout the World Cup after suffering a fractured jaw during a Premier League match last month.
The Tottenham Hotspur full-back sustained the injury following a collision with Chelsea forward Liam Delap and was already required to wear the mask during Spurs’ final game of the season against Everton.
“It’s a little uncomfortable, but it is what it is,” Spence told reporters on Monday.
“I’ve got a broken jaw, so I’ll need to wear it for the entire tournament. It’s something I’ll have to adapt to. The injury is expected to take around three months to heal completely, so it’s a lengthy recovery process.”
Spence said he never feared the injury would rule him out of the World Cup, despite playing through the pain after the incident against Chelsea.
“It was painful, but luckily I play football with my feet and not my jaw, so I was fine,” the 25-year-old joked.
The defender remains available for selection as England prepare to begin their World Cup campaign against Croatia in Dallas on June 17. They will then face Ghana and Panama in their remaining group-stage matches.
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