An unexpected solution
Marc Guéhi returns to Selhurst Park tonight with a point to prove and a new trick up his sleeve. The centre-back was signed in January to shore up City's defence, but a surprise deployment in midfield against Bournemouth last weekend has given Enzo Maresca an intriguing decision to make.
Guéhi was named man of the match in that game, heading City's late equaliser before Josko Gvardiol completed the comeback. It was the kind of performance that makes a manager pause and think twice.
“I felt good and comfortable,” Guéhi told City's official website this week.
Maresca, for his part, played down any suggestion that the experiment was a spur-of-the-moment gamble. He had considered the possibility before and worked on it in training ahead of the Bournemouth game. The City boss was delighted with the outcome, describing Guéhi's display as a “complete performance”.
Now comes the twist. Maresca has confirmed that the 26-year-old remains an option in midfield against Palace, his former club. It is a call that carries added weight given the options available in the middle of the park.
Ayyoub Bouaddi has arrived from Lille and is available on Friday night, while Elliot Anderson is fit after suffering cramp against Bournemouth. That gives Maresca a welcome headache, even if it leaves Guéhi's immediate future uncertain.
Guéhi obviously knows Selhurst Park and tonight will be his first return since leaving the club for City in January. Whether he lines up at the back or in midfield, he will be a man in demand.