Palace’s Guéhi injury doubt for England

Crystal Palace defender Marc Guéhi is facing a spell on the sidelines and is unlikely to feature in England’s final two World Cup qualifiers against Serbia and Albania after sustaining a foot injury during Thursday’s 3-1 Europa Conference League win over AZ Alkmaar.

Palace manager Oliver Glasner confirmed that the 25-year-old centre-back suffered a bone bruise late in the match and is currently unable to walk without crutches. “Marc was fouled in the last minute against Alkmaar. It was a knock on his foot — a bone bruise,” Glasner told Sky Sports News. “He can’t even walk at the moment. The last two days he’s been on crutches.”

The Austrian coach added that Guéhi will miss Palace’s Premier League fixture against Brighton on Sunday and admitted the defender is also unlikely to recover in time for international duty. “At the moment, it doesn’t look good,” Glasner said. “It looks like he can’t play for England as well.”

England, who have already secured qualification as group winners, host Serbia at Wembley on Thursday before travelling to face Albania in Tirana the following Sunday.

Guéhi has been a consistent presence in Gareth Southgate’s defensive setup since making his senior England debut in a 2-1 friendly win over Switzerland in 2022, earning 26 caps. His composure in possession and positional awareness have made him a key figure for both club and country.

The setback comes at an untimely moment for Palace, who rely heavily on Guéhi’s leadership and distribution from the back, as well as for England, who view him as a central part of their defensive options heading into next year’s World Cup.