Marc Guéhi doubt, England’s Anthony Gordon and Nick Pope injured
LONDON – Crystal Palace defender Marc Guéhi is a major doubt for England’s upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Serbia and Albania after suffering a foot injury, while Newcastle United duo Anthony Gordon and Nick Pope have withdrawn from the squad due to fitness concerns.
Palace manager Oliver Glasner confirmed that Guéhi sustained the injury late in Thursday’s 3-1 UEFA Conference League victory over AZ Alkmaar, describing it as a “bone bruise” that has left the defender temporarily unable to walk.
“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. At the moment it doesn’t look good. It looks like he can’t play for England as well.”
The 25-year-old centre-back, capped 26 times for England, will also miss Palace’s Premier League fixture against Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday. Guéhi has been a consistent performer under Gareth Southgate, noted for his positional discipline, composure under pressure, and ability to build from the back — traits that have made him a mainstay in England’s defensive setup.
Meanwhile, Newcastle winger Anthony Gordon and goalkeeper Nick Pope have both been ruled out through injury. Gordon missed the 3-1 defeat to Brentford with a hip issue, while Pope was withdrawn after sustaining a concussion, activating the mandatory 12-day return-to-play protocol.
“Nick Pope suffered concussion and that’s why we took him off,” said Newcastle manager Eddie Howe. “As soon as we were made aware of that, he was withdrawn. He won’t go with England. Anthony has a minor injury so he’ll miss England.”
England, who have already secured qualification as group winners, face Serbia at Wembley next Thursday before travelling to Tirana to meet Albania three days later.
Guéhi’s absence could prompt Southgate to hand minutes to emerging defensive options such as Lewis Dunk, Fikayo Tomori, or Ezri Konsa, offering valuable preparation time ahead of next year’s World Cup finals.
While the injuries present a selection challenge, the fixtures will allow England to rotate and test depth across key positions before final squad decisions are made for the tournament.