Claudio Echeverri scored his first ever goal for Manchester City, against Al Ain, but unfortunately, it will be the only goal that the young Argentine scores at this tournament. The ankle injury that Echeverri suffered has turned out to be pretty significant, and his tourney is now over.
“Problems in the ankle, two, three weeks out,” City manager Pep Guardiola said.
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“Unfortunately. I feel so sorry for him. We will play new players and in the next game too and in the second half. The selection has that in mind.”
Meanwhile Rico Lewis will miss the first knockout round clash, due to suspension. Originally, he received just a one match ban, but FIFA then ruled to extend the suspension for two additional matches.
Provided City win here, and almost everybody seems to think they will, Lewis would be back for the quarterfinals.
Guardiola has no other selection concerns at this time.
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. 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, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter