Dan Burn has been called into the England squad for the Nations League matches against Croatia and Spain after Marc Guehi withdrew with a hip injury.

The Football Association confirmed the change on Monday, 9 November. Guehi, 26, was taken off at half-time of Manchester City's 3-1 defeat at Nottingham Forest on Saturday, 7 November, after asking to be substituted, and he will now remain with his club for treatment.

Burn, the 34-year-old Newcastle United defender, joined the rest of Thomas Tuchel's squad at Tottenham Hotspur's training ground on Monday. He has 11 caps for England and returns to the international set-up for the first time since the World Cup in June and July, having missed the September and October international breaks with an ankle injury.

A big gap to fill in defence

Guehi's withdrawal is a significant blow for Tuchel. The Manchester City centre-back had featured in England's last 15 matches and has been a mainstay of the side since the German became head coach. He has also been a regular for his club this season, playing 14 times for City and starting nine of their 10 Premier League matches.

City manager Enzo Maresca said after the Forest defeat that Guehi had asked to come off because of the injury, and BBC Sport reported on Sunday that the defender was having a scan to establish the extent of the problem. No return date has been given by the club.

Burn offers a different profile. At 6ft 7in he is one of the tallest players in the England squad, and his versatility across the back line has long made him a useful option for club and country. He was part of Tuchel's World Cup squad and made two substitute appearances at the tournament.

Croatia first, then Spain

England host Croatia at Wembley on Thursday, 12 November, with kick-off at 7.45pm, before travelling to Madrid to face world champions Spain on Sunday, 15 November. The two fixtures complete the group stage of the Nations League.

England sit second in their group, having won three of their four matches and lost only to Spain. They are six points ahead of Croatia and three behind the Spanish, and a point against Croatia on Thursday would be enough to secure a place in the quarter-finals, which will be played in March.

Tuchel has already had to reshuffle his defence once this week. Bournemouth defender James Hill was called up after Arsenal centre-back Ezri Konsa was ruled out, and the head coach must now decide how to organise a back line that has lost two of its options in a matter of days.

For Burn, the recall is a reward for persistence. He missed the start of the season's international programme through injury, but his form for Newcastle has kept him in the picture, and he now has a chance to stake a claim for a starting place in two of England's biggest fixtures of the autumn.

Guehi, meanwhile, will stay at the Etihad Stadium for treatment, with City's next Premier League fixture at home to Fulham on Saturday, 21 November. Whether he is fit for that game remains to be seen.