It won’t have escaped your attention that Djed Spence is wearing a distinctive bit of kit for England this summer.
Spence came off the bench during England’s 4-2 win over Croatia in their opening game, and was selected as the starting left-back for their meeting with Ghana on Tuesday
Both times, the 25 year old was wearing an unusual protective mask on his head that runs down his cheeks and across the full width of his jaw and chin.
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Why Djed Spence is wearing a protective mask
Spence’s mask is not a tribute to Abraham Lincoln as part of the United States’ Semiquincentennial, but rather, a protective measure for an injury he suffered before the tournament.
The Spurs full-back received a hefty elbow to the face from Chelsea striker Liam Delap during the two sides’ Premier League meeting in May.
That left Spence with a broken jaw, and he donned the protective chinstrap for his next outing for Tottenham five days later as they secured their safety from relegation with a 1-0 win over Everton on the final day of the season.
Spence has continued to wear the headgear since, and is set to do so throughout the entire World Cup and possibly into the new domestic season.
He explained: “It is a little bit uncomfortable – but it is what it is. I have a broken jaw so I have to wear it throughout the tournament. It is something I will have to get used to.
‘It will be three months until it is fully healed, so it is a long time. It was painful, but luckily I play football with my feet and not my jaw so it is all good.
‘It was a crazy challenge, but it is in the past now. I’ve just got to focus on this tournament now. I have been wearing it in training, getting used to wearing it in the heat, and trying to break it in properly.”
“It was a crazy challenge, but it is in the past now. I’ve just got to focus on this tournament now.”
England will finish their World Cup group stage campaign by taking on Panama at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Saturday.
KIck-off for that game is set for 5pm local time, or 10pm UK time.