Ezri Konsa set to start as Stones beats Guehi against Croatia
ezri konsa is set to start alongside John Stones against Croatia in Dallas on Wednesday night, with Marc Guehi expected to miss out on England’s World Cup opener. Thomas Tuchel has leaned toward a centre-back pairing built for set pieces and pressing in the opponent’s half rather than continuity alone.
Stones over Guehi
John Stones, 32, is the preferred option over Guehi for the match, and the split is not subtle: Machine Football has Stones in the top 1% globally for heading ability, while Guehi sits in the 48th percentile for defensive headers among centre-backs. Stones is also two inches taller, a clean edge for a game Tuchel appears ready to attack in the air.
Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka are expected to take England’s set pieces from both sides, which gives the starting centre-backs a direct role in how England create danger without open play breaking down first. Rice ranks in the top 5% globally for crossing ability and Saka in the top 2%, so the delivery should be there if England win the first contact.
John Cross on Tuesday
John Cross reported on Tuesday that Stones and Konsa would be England’s starting centre-backs, and his read on Guehi was blunt: “Guehi probably thinks back to Tuchel’s first game in charge of England and he did not start - and still wonders whether the ex-Chelsea boss who let him go from Stamford Bridge really fancies him. That is probably in Guehi’s mind.”
Guehi still brings something England do not get from Stones in the same way: he ranks in the top 5% globally for creativity and passing accuracy, and he scores higher than Stones for tackling. That makes this a selection call about the balance Tuchel wants against Croatia, not a verdict on which defender has the broader skill set.
Dallas on Wednesday night
Harry Maguire’s absence from the squad reduces the number of obvious alternatives, which leaves Tuchel choosing between a more aerial, set-piece-heavy pairing and one with more passing and tackling bite. England get the first answer in Dallas on Wednesday night, and the back line is being asked to solve the game before it turns into a contest of recovery defending.
