Manchester City defender Marc Guehi has admitted it was a shame he could not play more alongside John Stones during their time together at the club. Stones departed the Etihad Stadium following the expiry of his contract, but despite being at City with Guehi since January, they rarely played together.
Limited Time Together at City
Guehi and Stones only shared the pitch for the Blues for eight minutes during City's 3-0 victory over Crystal Palace. However, for England, their partnership is more established. They first held down the starting centre-back roles in 2022 during a 4-0 loss to Hungary in the Nations League. Since then, they have played alongside each other a further 11 times for their country.
Guehi partnered Stones for 45 minutes on Saturday as England beat New Zealand 1-0 in their first World Cup warm-up match. Tonight, the Three Lions play their final warm-up game against Costa Rica before the tournament begins.
Competition for Places
Considering his form this season, Guehi is the favourite to start at centre-back, but the competition to partner him is fierce. Aston Villa's Ezri Konsa and Newcastle's Dan Burn will offer a challenge to Stones for that final position. Ahead of tonight's match in Orlando, Guehi explained to talkSPORT how he wished he had played more with Stones for the Blues.
"I'd say they're both still fantastic players," he said when asked about both Stones and Konsa. "It's hard to say who's better because they're both coming from a school of managers that like to put on the ball and they're both amazing ball players and centre-halves. But both have unbelievable awareness defensively and show their qualities each and every game as leaders in their own different ways. So, yes, they possess different things, but I think overall, fantastic quality."
"I think John's a fantastic professional and will always be in the best shape possible for whatever game or whatever competition. It was nice to actually play with him. It's been a long time and we're both looking forward to it. We didn't get the opportunity at City, which was a shame, but to be fair, it doesn't really matter. Whoever plays, the most important thing is just to do the best for the team and try to make England fans proud."
Tuchel's Influence
England will be led into the World Cup by Thomas Tuchel. The former Chelsea and Bayern Munich head coach has a track record of winning the biggest competitions and has often been compared to City's outgoing boss Pep Guardiola. Having worked under both men, Guehi believes there are similarities between the coaches.
"It's actually not that different, to be honest," he admitted. "They're both, in a way, saying the same things. Similar messages, I'd say, it's just done in a different way, whereas Thomas has come from a place of that German football. It's very, let's say, rock and roll."
Following tonight's warm-up game against Costa Rica, England will gear up for their opening Group L clash against Croatia in Dallas on Wednesday, June 17.
