The Citizens are dealing with multiple player unavailability issues leading up to their 197th showdown against their cross-town rivals.
The squad led by Pep Guardiola is set to face the squad led by Ruben Amorim at the Etihad Stadium in a highly anticipated event, as one of the most storied football rivalries resumes in the northwest of England.
Could the Red Devils potentially have an advantage, considering the injury situation within the City squad? FourFourTwo delves into the challenges confronting the Sky Blues…
Manchester City have serious injury problems heading into Manchester United clash
To begin with, English defender John Stones was recently excused from international duty with the Three Lions in September due to experiencing a minor muscular problem. The severity of the injury and his availability for the Manchester United match remain uncertain.
“He arrived with some minor issues that unfortunately did not improve as anticipated, leading to his departure from the squad this morning,” explained Thomas Tuchel when addressing Stones’ absence from England’s two international fixtures against Andorra and Serbia.
Additionally, Phil Foden and Rayan Cherki are questionable, as they have recently suffered ankle and foot injuries, respectively. Guardiola will likely address the status of his returning players during his pre-match press conference this week, but there’s another forward unavailable for selection.
Omar Marmoush was stretchered off the field during Egypt’s match against Burkina Faso this week, and it has been confirmed that he will be sidelined for an extended period.
“Initial scan results conducted in Egypt indicate that he will be unavailable for selection in the Manchester derby on Sunday. He is set to return to Manchester for further evaluation and to commence his rehabilitation,” confirmed a statement released by the Cityzens on Wednesday.
Furthermore, Mateo Kovacic, Josko Gvardiol, Marcus Bettinelli, and Kalvin Phillips are also doubtful, and updates are anticipated regarding Savinho, Abdukodir Khusanov, Rico Lewis, and Nico O’Reilly before the match against Amorim’s team.
The positive news revolves around Erling Haaland, a prolific goalscorer, who notched five goals as Norway dominated Moldova with an 11-1 victory on Tuesday. Manchester United will undoubtedly have a challenging task in containing this talented Premier League player.
In FourFourTwo‘s assessment, the Red Devils will approach Sunday’s match at the Etihad Stadium with confidence, especially when recalling Amad’s decisive performance in their most recent Premier League encounter back in December.
