Rayan Ait-Nouri returned to action for Manchester City last night, making a brief cameo off the bench. Ait-Nouri, back in the fold after Africa Cup of Nations duty with Algeria, came on in the 88′ of Man City’s 2-0 win over Newcastle United in the first leg of their League Cup semifinal tie.
Maybe Ait-Nouri takes on a larger role in the Manchester Derby on Saturday?
Manchester Derby FYIs
Kickoff: Sat. Jan 17, 12:30pm, Old Trafford, Stretford, UK
List of long term United managerial candidates: go here
Team News: Man United Man City
Probability: Man United Win 28% | Man City Win 48% | Draw 24%
Man City Team News
Yes, this next edition of the Manchester Derby is not a Sunday matinee, like it has almost always been in recent years. Instead of having that primo slot, this match will instead be played as a Saturday lunch time fixture. Guess that tells you what the tv networks think about this local derby right now.
The other main team news item for City right now is Omar Marmoush, who will play for Egypt in the AFCON semifinals later on today. Among the tournament’s final four, the Pharaohs are the underdogs.
As for the injury situation, it remains the same with the following long-term absentees: Savinho, John Stones, Josko Gvardiol, Oscar Bobb, Mateo Kovacic and Ruben Dias.
No members of this sextet will be returning any time soon.
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.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, RG.org and Ratings.org. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.