Pep Guardiola has delivered a comprehensive update on his Manchester City squad ahead of Sunday’s Premier League showdown with Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium.
City head into the derby under pressure after suffering back-to-back defeats against Tottenham and Brighton & Hove Albion, results which have left the reigning treble winners languishing in 13th place after just three matches.
The Blues surrendered a half-time lead in their 2-1 defeat to Brighton before the international break, a result that further dented confidence in Guardiola’s camp and allowed early title rivals Liverpool to extend their advantage.
Marmoush ruled out
Guardiola confirmed that Omar Marmoush will play no part against United after sustaining a thigh injury while on international duty with Egypt.
The forward’s absence comes at a difficult time, with City facing a daunting run of fixtures that also includes matches against Napoli in the Champions League and Arsenal in the league.
“He has to make the last tests, but I think it will be a few weeks,” Guardiola said of the 26-year-old. “Before or after the next international break, he will be ready.”
With Marmoush sidelined, Guardiola is expected to turn to either Savinho or Jeremy Doku to fill the left-wing role.
Defensive concerns
There are also concerns in defence, with John Stones a major doubt after withdrawing from the England squad with a muscle issue.
“Stones is a doubt. It’s not a big, big issue, but he is a doubt for Sunday,” Guardiola admitted.
However, the manager did provide more positive news regarding Josko Gvardiol, who has recovered from injury and is available for selection.
Rayan Aït-Nouri, who was forced off in the first half of the 2-0 defeat to Tottenham, has been ruled out once again, while summer signing Rayan Cherki remains unavailable after missing the Brighton match due to a training-ground injury.
Midfield updates
In midfield, Mateo Kovacic has returned to training after undergoing Achilles surgery in the summer, but the Croatian is not expected to feature competitively for some time yet.
On a brighter note, Phil Foden has been passed fit and is set to be available for Sunday’s derby.
City under pressure
Guardiola acknowledged that recent results have fallen short of City’s high standards, but hopes the international break has given his players time to “reset and refocus” ahead of what could be a season-defining run of fixtures.
The Etihad has not always been a fortress in derby matches, and Guardiola will be wary of the threat posed by Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United, who will take encouragement from City’s shaky start.