Marc Guehi's Hip Scare Exposes England's Thin Centre-Back Cover

Marc Guehi has started every England game under Thomas Tuchel bar one since the manager took charge in January 2025, which is precisely why Sunday's hip scan matters so much. The Manchester City defender asked to be substituted at half-time of City's 3-1 defeat at Nottingham Forest on Saturday, and that request alone has been enough to put his involvement in this week's Nations League double-header against Croatia and Spain in genuine doubt.

England and City will not know for certain until the scan results land and, crucially, until England's own medical staff have had their say. It is a two-step process that explains why uncertainty is likely to persist deep into the week, even once the initial imaging is complete.

The Forest Setback: How the Injury Happened

Guehi's withdrawal came without fanfare in the immediate aftermath, but the context has since sharpened. City boss Enzo Maresca confirmed after the game that the 26-year-old asked to come off because of the problem, rather than being withdrawn tactically, and that detail matters: it signals the player himself recognised something was wrong rather than being caught by a routine knock.

A Problem That Predates Saturday

Maresca did not specify the exact nature of Guehi's issue, but BBC Sport reports it is understood he has been troubled by the hip problem for several weeks rather than suffering a fresh, one-off injury at the City Ground. That framing reshapes the story: this is not a sudden collision or awkward landing, but a nagging issue that has now reached the point where the player felt he could not continue.

talkSPORT covers the same sequence of events but strikes a notably more urgent tone, framing Guehi as a player who "could be forced to pull out" of the England squad before the international break even begins. The BBC's account is more measured, stressing that a scan will determine availability rather than pre-empting the outcome. Both outlets agree on the essential facts: Guehi was substituted at his own request, the injury is hip-related, and a scan was scheduled for Sunday. Where they diverge is in how confidently they project forward, with the BBC deferring to process and talkSPORT leaning into the possibility of withdrawal.

Why Guehi Is Undroppable Under Tuchel

To understand why this scan is being treated as a genuine selection crisis rather than a minor fitness update, it helps to look at Guehi's run of appearances since Tuchel's arrival.

• Guehi has started all but one of England's games at the World Cup this year.
• He started all four of England's Nations League fixtures in September and October.
• He has been, by BBC Sport's description, "a mainstay" of Tuchel's team since the manager's appointment in January 2025.

From Palace Captain to City Squad Player

Guehi's club situation has shifted significantly this year too. He joined Manchester City from Crystal Palace in January, leaving behind the captaincy of a club he had led for several seasons to become part of a squad with considerably more competition for places. That transition, combined with a heavier overall workload across club and country, feeds naturally into questions about whether a long-running hip complaint is now the physical bill coming due.

None of that is confirmed as the cause by City, Maresca or England, and it would be speculative to present it as fact. But the timing, a near-ever-present player managing a new defensive hierarchy at a bigger club while remaining first-choice for his country, is the kind of workload picture that makes a persistent injury unsurprising rather than shocking.

The Scan, the Scrutiny and England's Contingency Plan

The scan itself is only the first stage. According to the BBC Sport report, it is likely England medical staff will also want to assess Guehi separately before any final call is made on whether he reports for international duty this week.

Why the Two-Step Process Matters

That extra layer explains why there is unlikely to be instant clarity even once Sunday's scan results are in. A club scan can confirm the nature and severity of a hip complaint, but England's medical team will want their own read on whether the defender can train and compete safely across back-to-back Nations League fixtures against two strong opponents in Croatia and Spain.

Tuchel has built his back line around Guehi's consistency, and his near-permanent presence in the side means England have had limited recent need to test alternatives in his exact role. If Guehi is withdrawn, it would mark the first real examination of England's centre-back depth under Tuchel without their most trusted option, at a moment when continuity has been one of the squad's defining features since the World Cup.

What Happens Next

The immediate focus is Sunday's scan and whatever it reveals about the severity of Guehi's hip issue. Assuming the imaging does not rule him out outright, attention will shift to England's own medical assessment, likely once the squad convenes, before Tuchel and his staff decide whether to risk him against Croatia and then Spain.

Given the accounts from both BBC Sport and talkSPORT agree Guehi's withdrawal was precautionary and self-requested rather than the result of a dramatic injury, there is no suggestion yet of a long-term issue. But with a player this central to Tuchel's plans, England will not want to gamble on fitness in fixtures of this magnitude, and a cautious call to rest him would hardly be surprising if there is any lingering doubt.