Marc Guehi has pulled out of the England squad ahead of the Three Lions’ final 2026 World Cup qualifier against Albania.
The centre-back picked up a painful ankle injury during Crystal Palace’s Conference League win over AZ Alkmaar last week, which left the player on crutches.
Guehi subsequently missed the goalless draw against Brighton in the Premier League and it was expected that he would pull out of England duty for the November international break.
Yet, he remained, with Thomas Tuchel wanting to keep hold of the Palace captain who is an influential member of the England dressing room.
And while he missed Thursday’s 2-0 win over Serbia, the Three Lions boss was hopeful that the 25-year-old could feature against Albania, but that will not be the case.
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Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi has left the England camp and will not travel to Albania for Sunday’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier,’ a statement read on Friday.
‘The defender joined up with the Three Lions at Tottenham Hotspur’s training ground earlier this week but has returned to his club to continue his rehabilitation.
‘Thomas Tuchel will prepare for the trip to Tirana with a squad of 24.’
No further details on Guehi’s fitness have been released though it was reported a few days ago that while he is no longer on crutches, he has been unable to participate in training.
That does seem to spell bad news for Palace ahead of a very busy winter schedule that kicks-off on November 22 at Wolves.
Guehi is a key player in Oliver Glasner’s team, with only Arsenal and Manchester City boasting a better defence than the Eagles in the Premier League.
Glasner will provide an update ahead of the Wolves game, but prior to the Serbia win, Tuchel said of the ankle injury is: ‘Very painful, but there is no damage done.
‘No structural damage. It’s all about the pain. If he is not in training on Friday and not able to train with us on Saturday, we will not make him travel with us, then he can rest and get treatment in London.
‘It’s nice that he also wants to stay with us. We wanted him to stay close.
‘He’s one of the leaders, an important member of the team. He’s an important glue for many players. It’s nice to see that he tries everything to be included in the second match.’
John Stones and Ezri Konsa started against Serbia, while Trevoh Chalobah and Jarell Quansah are the other centre-back options at Tuchel’s disposal.
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