Who could replace Marc Guehi against Switzerland?

Who Could Replace Marc Guehi Against Switzerland?

Marc Guehi has undoubtedly been one of England’s best players at the Euros so far, after he came in to replace an injured Harry Maguire before the tournament even started. However, he picked up his second yellow card on Sunday against Slovakia which means that he will miss a crucial Quarter-Final clash with Switzerland. England aren’t overly blessed with cover at the back, but there are some solid options that Gareth Southgate will be considering.

Lewis Dunk

Possibly the most natural replacement yet most unlikely to start, Lewis Dunk has just six caps to his name. The 32-year-old has been incredible for Brighton and Hove Albion in recent years, captaining the side to Europe for the first time in their history. In that time he has been a reliable force at the back, and been comfortable on the ball too.

Lewis Dunk in the quarters you say? pic.twitter.com/ApgIKVS53W

— Ryan (@ryanadsett) July 1, 2024

However his England career has not been as rosy. His six appearances for the Three Lions have been riddled by errors and misjudgements that have led England fans to question whether or not he deserves a place in the Euros squad at all. His most notable error came in March against Belgium, in which he over-committed for the ball in a foot race with Romelu Lukaku, which allowed the Belgian to pick out Youri Tielemens for his second of the game. Despite his club form, I don’t think Southgate will select Dunk against Switzerland.

Joe Gomez

Like Dunk, it seems as if Joe Gomez isn’t one of Southgate’s favourites this tournament. The Liverpool defender played across the back line for his club last season, so you would think that he may have had a shout at replacing any of the the injured or suspended players in the Three Lions’ defence, but he is yet to appear at the tournament.

Nine years ago today, Liverpool signed 18 year-old Joe Gomez from Charlton Athletic ⌛️

Today, he could finally make his first England major tournament appearance after numerous injury setbacks over the years ❤️

Never give up 💪 pic.twitter.com/guT53ZsBfr

— Rising Ballers (@RisingBallers_) June 20, 2024

Gomez has had more than his fair share of injuries in his career but has still managed 15 caps for England while being second choice to John Stones and Harry Maguire for nearly all of his international career. In his second game for the Three Lions, Gomez was named as man of the match as he managed to keep Neymar quiet for the entire game. He was playing at right-back in that game, but his preferred position is in the centre of defence and so Southgate may turn to him to fill the void left by Guehi’s suspension.

Ezri Konsa

Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa has been Southgate’s favourite defensive back up so far at Euro 2024. He brought him one against Slovakia to freshen things up and he looks set to bring him in to replace Guehi at centre back this time around. Despite only making his international debut this year, Konsa already has five caps to his name, demonstrating the amount of faith that Southgate has in him.

"I'm always ready." 💪

Ezri Konsa is prepared to step in and fill in for Marc Guehi after the Crystal Palace defender was ruled out of England's quarter-final through suspension 🟨 pic.twitter.com/AjrkAlM7y3

— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) July 1, 2024

The 26-year-old has played at both right-back and centre-back for Aston Villa this season as the club qualified for the Champions League ahead of Tottenham Hotspur. He has proven himself to be one of England’s best options in defence, and so Southgate’s faith in him is justified through his club performances.

Konsa played a major role in England’s two pre-tournament friendlies against Bosnia and Herzegovina and Iceland, and despite losing one of those games, he came away with his international stocks raised, after two very solid performances, especially against Bosnia and Herzegovina. For me, he is the most obvious replacement for the suspended Guehi.