Manchester City will face Sparta Prague on Wednesday night, in UEFA Champions League group stage competition, with the strong possibility of four injury absences. Holding midfielder Rodri (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) and attacking midfielder Oscar Bobb (broken leg) are definitely ruled out while manager Pep Guardiola seems to think that neither midfield maestro Kevin De Bruyne (groin injury) or right back supreme Kyle Walker (match fitness levels) will be ready to go on Wednesday.
UEFA Champions League Matchday 3 of 8
Manchester City vs Sparta Prague
Kickoff: Wed. Oct. 23, 8pm, Etihad Stadium, Manchester, UK
Man City Preview Material: Team News Starting XI Prediction
UCL Standing, Form: Manchester City 8th, 4pts, +4 GD, DW 10th, 3pts, +3 GD, WD
Man City Team News
And after missing the last seven matches due to a severe muscle injury, Dutch defender Nathan Ake made the matchday squad that narrowly beat lowly Wolves, but went an unused substitute. It’s very likely that he’ll see his first action in a long while here, but probably not from the opening kickoff.
Expect him to play some significant minutes here, but not the full 90. Other than all that, the Walker news is the big item, Man City is looking pretty good, fitness wise.
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, the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America and RG.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, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.