Gareth Southgate hails Marc Guehi as Crystal Palace star could start for England against Italy
Gareth Southgate has hailed the performances of Marc Guehi, hinting that the Crystal Palace star could start for England against Italy. The Three Lions take on Gli Azzurri at Wembley on Tuesday night, where victory for the home side will secure qualification for next summer’s Euro 2024.
England’s Defence in Question
Many of England’s best players were rested for last Friday’s friendly win against Australia, with Southgate expected to stick to the team that he knows best against the reigning European champions. There is a question mark over the defence however, as while Harry Maguire will likely start, his usual centre-back partner John Stones may not be fit enough.
The Manchester City star has missed much of the season with a hip injury but was able to play the last half hour of the Australia win, though Southgate admits he’s unsure whether he’ll be able to play against Italy.
Marc Guehi Could Step In
As for who could step into Stones’ place, Guehi will be the favourite to do so having done it in England’s last qualifier against Ukraine in September. The 23-year-old was also left on the bench against Socceroos, with Lewis Dunk, Fikayo Tomori and Levi Colwill starting instead, suggesting that Southgate was resting him for the Italy clash.
‘Marc is doing really, really well. He’s played with great maturity in the two games last month,’ Southgate said when asked about the Palace defender. ‘At times he might not catch the eye in the way that some other players do because he’s in the right place, so he’s not having to turn round and cover for something that he’s got wrong.’
Guehi’s Impressive Performances
Guehi moved to Palace from Chelsea in 2021, getting called up to the England squad for the first time and he has remained a near ever-present in the national team set-up ever since, winning six caps so far. His impressive performances have seen him linked with some of the Premier League’s top clubs, while this season his efforts have helped the Eagles to ninth in the table after eight games, with only Arsenal and Manchester City conceding less goals in that time.
Conclusion
It remains to be seen whether Southgate will opt to start Guehi against Italy or go with a more experienced option such as Dunk or Tomori. But it is clear that the Palace star is highly rated by the England boss and could be set for a bright future with the Three Lions.
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