Marc Guehi to have hip scan before England decision

Marc Guehi will have a scan on a hip problem on Sunday, and that result will decide whether he can report for England duty this week.

The centre-back was taken off at half-time in Manchester City's defeat at Nottingham Forest on Saturday. City manager Enzo Maresca said Guehi asked to come off because of injury. NBC Sports reported that Maresca also named Josko Gvardiol as a player removed for injury in the same match.

Guehi has been troubled by his hip in recent weeks. City signed him from Crystal Palace in January on a five-and-a-half-year contract, and he has become a key figure in their defence. A centre-back's job is to stop attacks before they reach goal, so a half-time exit in a game where the defence is under scrutiny is a real concern for the club.

For England, the timing is tight. The BBC reports that the national team face Croatia at Wembley on Thursday 12 November, then travel to Madrid to play Spain on Saturday 15 November. Both games are UEFA Nations League matches, the competition in which Europe's national teams play each other in a series of fixtures outside the major tournaments.

The scan is only the first step. England's medical staff will also want to examine Guehi before a final call is made on his availability. Until then, neither club nor country has confirmed how long he is likely to be out, and no decision has been announced on whether he will travel.

For England, the question is whether a fit player can be ready in time for two matches in a week. For City, it is whether one of their central defenders can get through the next few weeks without a setback. Both answers depend on a scan and a medical check on Sunday and beyond.