Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is sweating on the fitness of four players: Matheus Nunes, Jack Grealish, Kyle Walker and Ederson, heading into the Sunday visit to Leicester City.
And that’s in addition to the four long-term injury absentees that Pep already has on his hands: Rodri, Oscar Bobb, Ruben Dias and John Stones.
Manchester City at Leicester City FYIs
Kick-off time: 4:30 PM GMT, 29th December 2024, King Power Stadium
Man City Preview Material: Starting XI Prediction Team News
Premier League Form Guide: Man City WDLLD Leicester City WDLLL
Premier League Position: Man City 7th, 27 pts Leicester 18th, 14 pts
Google Result Probability: Man City 72% Leicester 12% Draw 16%
Man City Team News
Christmas time is crunch time in the Premier League with the opportunity to pick up (or drop) points that can make (or break) seasons.
The festive fixture list is very congested, with critical matches for clubs up-and-down and down the entire table.
It can be nightmarish for managers in a situation like Pep, due to the huge burden on players that is caused by playing so many games in such a short period of time. When you have a very banged up squad, like City have right now, the situation is all the more challenging.
Nunes and Ederson, both out with unspecified/undisclosed injuries, are probably 50/50 when it comes to being available on Sunday.
Walker (the flu) and Grealish (muscle strain/pull) are both doubts.
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. 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.