Chelsea right-back Reece James is seen by many as one of the best in the world at his position.

Chased by Real Madrid, James has developed into a world-class player in the right-back right wing-back role.

However, ahead of the World Cup summit in November, Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson doesn’t see the need for Reece James to feature in England’s opening clash against Iran.

According to the Gunners legend, Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold would be more suited to Iran than Chelsea’s Reece James.

Merson told Sky Sports: “Whatever happens, Alexander-Arnold must play in the opener. I definitely don’t think he’s a better player than James in terms of being an all-round player.

“But if you’re talking about a team like Iran who are going to put 10 behind the ball and you need to break them down, Trent has to be in the team for that game.”