Trending now

John Stones set to benefit from Marc Guehi’s World Cup disappointment

Samuel JohnsonSamuel Johnson
Share
John Stones set to benefit from Marc Guehi’s World Cup disappointment
  • Four Man City players are in England’s World Cup squad
  • Stones and Guehi are competing for a position in the defence
  • Only one of them is set to start against Croatia on Tuesday

Marc Guehi has been starting for Manchester City on a weekly basis, but he might be required to show more patience with the Three Lions.

The anticipation is building in England, with their World Cup campaign getting underway in a matter of days.

Up to four Man City players could be in action for Thomas Tuchel’s team, as they face Croatia at the Dallas Stadium.

However, the reality could be that only one or two Citizens will be named in the starting lineup in the midweek fixture.

Marc Guehi is unlikely to start

According to BBC Sport, England’s team to face Croatia is expected to be very similar to the one who defeated Costa Rica.

As a result, Marc Guehi will be forced to settle for a place on the bench, with his club teammate John Stones playing alongside Ezri Konsa.

On a more positive note, this means there is a chance Nico O’Reilly will start at left-back over Djed Spence.

Thomas Tuchel wants physicality

England’s manager wants a physically strong central defence, which means Guehi could be missing out on Tuesday’s match.

This is ultimately quite the blow for the 25-year-old, who was initially expected to be first choice for his national team.

In fact, there was uncertainty surrounding whether Stones would even go to the World Cup, which adds even more intrigue to Tuchel’s apparent decision.

Guehi could have some competition at Man City too

While Guehi has been above Stones in the pecking order at club level this season, he will be in for a challenge during the next campaign.

Ruben Dias will be fully fit, having been injured during the latter stages of the season. This will also be true of Josko Gvardiol, who was out for a while after his January injury.

Additionally, Vitor Reis will be integrated into the first-team, so there will be a lot of players competing for only two places in the side.

Therefore, facing some tribulations at the World Cup could help Guehi prepare well for what is to come when he heads back to the Etihad.

Samuel is a football journalist who specialises in club specific writing. Despite having little more than two years in the industry, he already has experience providing coverage on Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Everton, Celtic and his local non-league team. Now, the 23-year-old works as the editorial business partner at Read Man City. Away from his desk, Samuel runs a community football group which welcomes up to 50 members each week.

View all articles →
dave.sport

dave.sport is in beta

We are building a new home for independent sports coverage. dave.sport is currently in beta, with new features and publisher tools rolling out as we test what fans need most.

Explore the beta
Discover more from Read Man City

Add Read Man City as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting.

Follow
Keep Reading

Man City stars set to clash in potential World Cup giant-killing

related.