Manchester City have a multitude of injury concerns, but midfielder/defender Rayan Ait-Nouri is no longer one of them. The summer transfer window addition suffered an injury scare this week, when he was withdrawn early in the loss to Tottenham Hotspur, but he’s now been passed fit to play.
“He’s fine,” manager Pep Guardiola responded when asked about Ait-Nouri today, during his pre-match press conference.
Brighton & Hove Albion at Manchester City FYIs
Kick-off time: 2PM GMT, Sunday, August 31, Falmer Stadium, Falmer, Brighton and Hove, UK
Premier League Form Guide: Brighton DL Manchester City WL
Manchester City Preview Content: Team News Starting Lineup Prediction and UCL Draw Results
Premier League Position: Brighton 1 pt, 18th Manchester City 6th, 3 pts
Result Probability: Brighton win 24% Draw 24% Manchester City win 52%
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Pep later confirmed, with an affirmative “yes,” that Ait-Nouri will be available on Sunday. Elsewhere the following four players: Josko Gvardiol, Savio, Marcus Bettinelli and Claudio Echeverri are ruled out until after the international break.
However, each member of this quartet could be in contention to play in the very next game, supposedly, so the international period really comes at a great time for them. The time off will give the Man City foursome an opportunity to heal up.
And then finally, Mateo Kovacic remains sidelined as a longer-term injury absentee. The creative midfielder won’t be returning to action for awhile yet.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor 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.”
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