Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola will be sweating on the fitness of a number of key players ahead of this weekend’s crunch Premier League title clash with Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium. The international break has hit a number of Premier League clubs hard when it comes to injuries, and Man City are no different.
The defending champions trail league leaders Arsenal by just a point and cannot afford to fall further behind as they also chase Champions League and FA Cup glory. Guardiola will have been concerned to see England duo John Stones and Kyle Walker forced off in recent games.
They are among several injury concerns, with Kevin De Bruyne and Ederson also doubts. However, it will be a relief to the City boss that Erling Haaland appears to be okay after initial concerns saw him limp off during a Norway training session.
Haaland did play a part in both Norway games over the international break and is expected to be fit to face Arsenal. The other four remain doubtful. Here is the latest injury news for City as reported by our friends at the Manchester Evening News.
John Stones was forced off early in England’s 2-2 draw with Belgium on Tuesday night. He lasted just ten minutes at Wembley Stadium before being replaced by Joe Gomez. The defender was seen holding his right leg and grimacing. Could be out.
Kyle Walker was forced off in the first half of the Three Lions’ fixture against Brazil. Gareth Southgate said the right-back was unsure “whether it’s just tightness”. Walker was absent from the 2-2 draw with Belgium on Tuesday, not making the squad at all. Could be out.
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Kevin De Bruyne sat out City’s victory over Newcastle due to a groin injury. Consequently, he was also pulled out of the Belgium team before the international break. De Bruyne will spend the next few days recovering from the injury in hopes of playing against Arsenal. Could be out.
Ederson has been out with a leg injury. The Brazilian got injured in the 1-1 draw with Liverpool on March 10. As a result, Ederson missed City’s match against Newcastle in the FA Cup. It was initially thought that the goalkeeper would be out for three to four weeks, but there is hope that he could come back in time to play against Arsenal in the first game after the international break. Could be out.
