Manchester City Cruise to 4-1 Victory Over Ipswich, But Injury Concerns Loom for Key Players
Manchester City secured a commanding 4-1 win against Ipswich Town in their first Premier League home game of the season, but the victory came at a cost, with key players sidelined and another picking up an injury during the match.
Mateo Kovacic, who was making his second start of the season, suffered an injury scare in the second half after taking a kick to the back of his leg. The Croatian midfielder was forced off just five minutes into the second period and was later seen limping down the tunnel, raising concerns about his availability for upcoming matches. This adds to City’s growing injury list, which already includes Rodri.
Before the match, Phil Foden was ruled out due to illness, and Rodri was absent from the squad after not fully training since returning from international duty. Meanwhile, Oscar Bobb remains a long-term absentee, recovering from a leg fracture sustained on the eve of the season, which will sideline him for around four months.
After the comfortable win over Ipswich, Pep Guardiola addressed Kovacic’s injury, saying, “I didn’t speak with the doctors. I think it was a knock. Liam Delap, we know from here, is so aggressive with that. We have six, seven days until the next game, and we will see if he can recover.”
John Stones stepped in to replace Kovacic, while the returning Ilkay Gundogan made a late appearance, playing the final 20 minutes to bolster City’s midfield options.
Regarding Rodri’s absence, Guardiola had previously commented, “He’s okay. He had an injury with the national team and still has some niggles, but I saw him yesterday [Thursday] looking quite sharp. It’s just a question of whether he rejoins the group [on Friday] for training sessions.”
City’s next challenge will be against West Ham on Saturday, giving Kovacic and Foden a full week to recover and possibly return to action.
