Injury Woes Stack Up for City as Tottenham Ends Their Unbeaten Run
Manchester City has been grappling with a spate of injuries this season, yet they managed to remain unbeaten across all competitions through October. However, that streak came to a halt on Wednesday night as Tottenham Hotspur claimed a 2-1 victory over a depleted Pep Guardiola side in the Carabao Cup’s last 16.
The defeat marked more than just the end of their unbeaten run; it brought fresh injury concerns to a squad already stretched thin. Guardiola revealed crucial details about two players’ fitness setbacks following the loss to Ange Postecoglou’s team.
Double Injury Blow Hits City
Initially set to start, Manuel Akanji was forced to withdraw from the lineup after suffering a muscular issue during warm-ups. Guardiola explained the situation post-match, saying, “In the last action, [Akanji] felt something in the muscular part of his body, and today in the warm-up he didn’t feel good. He said, ‘No, I can take a risk,’ and I said, ‘No, no risk.’”
In the second half, Savinho added to City’s injury woes when he was stretchered off after a potential penalty-area collision. Guardiola shared his concerns about the winger’s condition: “He had a knock in the 18-yard box, potential penalty, and we’ll see tomorrow what happened. We have to see if it [was] just a knock or something else because it was on the bone. Hopefully, it’s nothing dangerous, but we’ll see tomorrow.”
Who’s on the Sidelines?
With a critical Premier League clash against Bournemouth looming on Saturday, City is facing the prospect of missing multiple key players. Assuming Akanji and Savinho remain sidelined, they’ll join the likes of Rodri, Oscar Bobb, Jeremy Doku, Kevin De Bruyne, Kyle Walker, and Jack Grealish in the injury list.
The upcoming fixtures present a tough schedule, with City not only facing Premier League rivals but also needing to focus on critical Champions League matches. Here’s a look at their November lineup:
- November 2 – Bournemouth (Premier League)
- November 9 – Brighton (Premier League)
- November 23 – Tottenham (Premier League)
- December 1 – Liverpool (Premier League)
- December 4 – Nottingham Forest (Premier League)
With crucial games ahead, Guardiola and his squad must find ways to navigate this challenging period and keep their season ambitions alive despite their mounting injury troubles.
