England are facing a defensive selection headache for their Euro 2024 quarter-final against Switzerland.
The Three Lions will head into next weekend’s last-eight tie in Dusseldorf with depleted numbers at the back after Marc Guehi picked up his second yellow card of the tournament so far in Sunday night’s dramatic 2-1 extra-time win over Slovakia in the last 16.
The Crystal Palace defender brought down Slovakia striker David Strelec just three minutes in after an underhit pass from Kieran Trippier, picking up the first of a flurry of early cautions dished out by Turkish referee Umut Meler, who also showed quick bookings to team-mates Kobbie Mainoo and Jude Bellingham.
Guehi was also booked in England’s final Group C match against Slovenia in Cologne earlier this week, meaning he now incurs an automatic one-match ban with yellow cards not wiped away at the Euros until after the quarter-final stage.
It is a key blow for Southgate, with Guehi having stepped up admirably alongside John Stones at centre-back with Harry Maguire missing the tournament through injury and been arguably England’s best defender so far in Germany.
Either Ezri Konsa or Lewis Dunk will now be expected to get the nod alongside Stones against Switzerland, with full-backs Kyle Walker and Joe Gomez also capable of playing at centre-back if required.
Jarrad Branthwaite and Jarell Quansah were among the players cut from Southgate’s wider provisional squad before the tournament kicked off.
Southgate may yet be forced into a double defensive reshuffle against the Swiss, with Trippier substituted with an injury against Slovakia after being on the receiving end of a heavy challenge in the second half of normal time.
Bukayo Saka was switched to left-back as Cole Palmer joined the attack off the bench, but that seems very unlikely to be repeated from the off in Dusseldorf if Trippier is unable to play.
Luke Shaw had finally shaken off a hamstring injury that had kept him sidelined since February to train this week and take a seat on the bench against Slovakia, but Southgate admitted after the game that it would have been a “huge risk” to put him on as he said he had a “chance” of facing Switzerland.
Shaw is the only specialist left-back in England’s tournament squad, with right-back Trippier having deputised in the position throughout the Euros so far.
If neither are fit to start against Switzerland and Southgate is reluctant to place Saka there from the off, then it could be that someone like Gomez deputises at left-back with Walker also under pressure for his right-back role from Trent Alexander-Arnold after a rough night against Slovakia.
