Manchester City head coach Pep Guardiola has on Friday provided an insight into the personnel situation in his squad.
As much, of course, comes just weeks out from City’s impending Champions League quarter-final showdown with La Liga leaders Real Madrid.
The Sky Blues, for their part, have endured a tough time of things on the personnel front of late.
As much comes with the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Ederson and Jack Grealish having been forced into respective spells on the sidelines.
Safe to say, then, that heading into the most crucial stretch of the campaign, the last thing which Guardiola and co. needed was yet more injury problems.
But, across the international break, this is precisely what the Champions League holders were subjected to.
After Kyle Walker was first forced to limp out of England’s friendly meeting with Brazil, John Stones then followed suit in the Three Lions’ ensuing clash with Belgium.
Speaking to the media on Friday, it therefore came as little surprise when the injury situation in his squad was put to Pep Guardiola himself.
And the Spaniard’s ensuing update proved something of a mixed bag, ahead of his side’s Premier League showdown with Arsenal this weekend:
“Ederson is improving a lot. Akanji will be 100% to play against Arsenal. Walker and Stones will be left out. Walker’s injury is more serious than Stones’. They will both be out, I don’t know how many games they will miss. It is what it is.”
Guardiola continued:
“Kevin [De Bruyne] is so important. It has been a tough season for him with injuries. He has been out for a long time. He trained really well yesterday. We will see what he does in the next few days.”
Conor Laird | GSFN
