NEW YORK, June 9 (Xinhua) -- England defender Djed Spence is set to play the entire FIFA World Cup with a brace to protect a broken jaw.

The Tottenham Hotspur full-back was a slight surprise in Thomas Tuchel's squad and even more so after suffering his injury.

Speaking to the Guardian, Spence said it was a "crazy" challenge, but said he never worried too much about the injury.

"I didn't really think about it. It was painful but luckily, I play football with my feet and not my jaw, so I was all good," he commented.

He wore the protective brace in the last game of the Premier League season as Tottenham beat Everton to avoid relegation, and wore it again in England's 1-0 win over New Zealand in Tampa, Florida on Saturday, where he crossed for Harry Kane to score the game's only goal.

"It's a little bit uncomfortable but it is what it is," the defender said. "I've got a broken jaw so I have to wear it throughout the tournament. It's something I will have to get used to. It'll be three months until it's fully healed, so it's a long time. I've been wearing it in training, getting used to it."

England plays its final preparation game against Costa Rica in Orlando, Florida on Wednesday, and kicks off its World Cup campaign against Croatia on June 17. ■