Journalist Tom Barclay has tipped Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi to be a surprise inclusion in England's World Cup squad for Qatar 2022.

What's the story?

The highly-rated 21-year-old has put in a string of outstanding performances for club and country after completing his big-money move over the summer, and Barclay believes he could oust one of his compatriots in Gareth Southgate's current plans.

He tweeted: "One player I wouldn't rule out from making a late charge to the England World Cup squad is Marc Guehi. Getting better with every game, impressing at Crystal Palace, well-liked within the system and now captain of the Under-21s."

Crystal Palace fans surely buzzing

Conor Gallagher made his senior England debut in the 10-0 thrashing of San Marino on Monday night, and the prospect of another Palace youngster making his name on the international stage would surely leave the club's supporters buzzing.

Since arriving at Selhurst Park via an £18m move from boyhood club Chelsea back in July, Guehi has established himself as one of the Premier League's most promising young centre-backs.

As per WhoScored, the 6-foot monster has averaged 1.2 tackles per league game this season, a whopping 3.4 clearances and 0.5 blocks, highlighting his influence over proceedings for the capital club.

Despite only being an Eagles player for a few months, Guehi has already cemented his status as a crucial player for Patrick Vieira's charges, playing every minute of their promising Premier League campaign.

His partnership with the more experienced Joachim Andersen is also beginning to flourish in the heart of defence, providing the foundations for a new-look Palace side full of excitement and attacking intent, something that was lacking under the previous regime.

And consecutive clean sheets in their last two outings are evidence that Guehi and co. are starting to put in solid defensive displays on a consistent basis too.

Whether Guehi can do enough to force himself into Southgate's World Cup plans over the next 12 months remains to be seen, but you'd be a brave person to bet against Barclay's prediction.

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