Not one, but two games on Monday night for the next round of the English Premier League. Manchester City makes the short trip to Everton and their new stadium, but they’ll do so without the services of three players: Rodri, Josko Gvardiol and Ruben Dias. City manager Pep Guardiola gave an update on the trio earlier today:
“Ruben (Dias) is not yet with the team. Him, Josko (Gvardiol) and Rodri are getting better.”
Manchester City at Everton FC FYIs
Kickoff: Mon May 4, Hill Dickinson Stadium, Liverpool, UK
Manchester City News Updates: go here
Premier League Standing: Manchester City 2nd, 70 pts, Everton FC 11th, 47 points
Google Probability: Manchester City win 66% Draw 19% Everton FC win 15%
Team News for Both Sides
It still remains to be seen if Gvardiol (recovering from a tibial fracture) can actually see real game action before Championship Sunday. Dias (hamsting/thigh) is probably looking at a return later on in the month as well. Rodri (undisclosed/unspecified) is in a different category though, with Pep adding:
“He is getting better. Still hasn’t trained with us, so we will see.”
If any individual player’s health will determine the Premier League title race, it’s Rodri.
In recent years, we have seen just how much better Man City is when he’s in the lineup, versus how much worse they are when he’s absent. They do need him right now, badly, as they’ll be six matches (five league fixtures) in 21 days to end the season.
The good news for the Cityzens- they have no more injury concerns beyond the aforementioned trio.
Shifting gears to Everton, Beto Betuncal has been medically cleared to play on Monday, with manager David Moyes stating earlier today:
“Yes, he’s had to go through the protocol for concussion, which was correct, so he’s gone through that period and has been training.”
Jack Grealish would be ineligible to face his former club here, even if he were fit, which he is obviously not. Grealish and Jarrad Branthwaite have long been ruled out for the rest of the season. Otherwise Everton have no additional injury concerns.
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, Ratings and RG. 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.