Manchester City have four injury concerns ahead of the start of their FA Cup campaign on Sunday. Kevin De Bruyne could finally feature, for the first time since opening day, against Huddersfield Town this weekend. The Belgian midfielder could be back in action, but Erling Haaland, John Stones and Jeremy Doku will not be.
Let’s take a look at the latest updates provided by manager Pep Guardiola, on the injured trio.
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Manchester City vs Huddersfield Town
Kick: Sun. Jan. 7, 2pm, Etihad, Manchester, UK
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Guardiola on De Bruyne this past weekend:
“Kevin is with the team. He’s close, but he had fatigue. We have to be careful. He’s been injured for three months… like an ACL; if you don’t handle the timings well, you get injured again.
Pep on Haaland, Dec 27:
“It’s not a stress or fracture but a question of when the pain will disappear. Hopefully, [January]. He’s not like Foden, who is small and skinny; Erling is huge, so it’s difficult at times.”
By the way, in case you missed it, Barcelona star Pedri was asked who his dream signing would be for the Blaugranes, and he named Haaland.
Pep on Doku, Dec 30:
“It’s soon, soon I think he’s back. They are a bit cautious because he’s so explosive, one-against-one, and muscular, but I think for the next weeks, he will be ready, I hope.”
Pep on Stones, Dec 27:
“It doesn’t look good, but we will see. It’s his ankle.”
Other than that, there are no additional fitness concerns for City at this point.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now, while writing for the International Baseball Writers Association of America. You can follow the website on Twitter.
