Marc Guehi is waiting on a scan on a hip problem, and the result will decide whether the Man City centre-back reports for England duty this week.
According to BBC Sport, the 26-year-old was booked in for the scan on Sunday, the day after he came off at half-time of City’s 3-1 defeat at Nottingham Forest. It is understood the hip has been troubling him for the last few weeks.
Even if City’s scan comes back clear, England’s medical staff are expected to want their own look at him before a final call is made. Thomas Tuchel’s side play Croatia at Wembley on Thursday 12 November and then Spain in Madrid on Sunday 15 November in the Nations League.
Why did Guehi come off at the City Ground?
Plenty of people assumed it was a tactical change. City were 2-0 down at the break and Guehi, like the rest of the back four, had struggled. Enzo Maresca cleared that up after the game, as we reported in his post-match comments on the double change.
“Marc Guehi asked for change because of his injury, he had a problem in first half,” Maresca told Sky Sports. Josko Gvardiol was also taken off at half-time, and the City boss added that the Croatian “also during the week, he had a small issue.”
Matheus Nunes and Nico O’Reilly came on in their places. Maresca didn’t say what Guehi’s problem was, and it’s the fact that the defender asked to come off that has England worried.
How big a blow would it be for England?
A big one. Guehi has been a fixture in Tuchel’s defence since the German took the job in January 2025. He started all but one of England’s games at the World Cup and every one of their four Nations League matches in September and October.
He and Elliot Anderson were the only City players in the squad Tuchel named on Friday. Nico O’Reilly was left out to manage his knee, and Phil Foden missed out again. Lose Guehi too and City could end up with just one man in the England camp. Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite is among the other centre-backs Tuchel already has with him.
What it means for Man City
From City’s side, a quiet fortnight at the training ground might not be the worst outcome. Maresca’s team have lost three league games in a row and drop into the break third, behind Arsenal and Brighton. They are back at the Etihad against Fulham on Saturday 21 November, and they will want their first-choice centre-backs fit for that and for the trip to Arsenal eight days later.
With Gvardiol carrying a knock as well, Maresca could be short of senior centre-backs if neither is right in time.
Guehi injury verdict: rest might be the best cure
Nobody wants a player pulling out of an international squad, but this looks like one where the scan only confirms what the body is already saying. Guehi has been playing through a sore hip for weeks, his performances have come in for criticism, and City need him at his best for Arsenal far more than England need him against Croatia.
If the scan shows anything more than a minor problem, the sensible call for club and country is to let him stay in Manchester and get it right.
