Manchester City’s International Break Round-Up: Key Player Performances and Fitness Updates
Manchester City saw several players represent their countries during the final international break of 2024, following a tough run of four consecutive defeats in all competitions. This marked an unprecedented slump for Pep Guardiola, who admitted the break came at a much-needed time after the team’s 2-1 loss to Brighton.
Now that the international fixtures are over, here’s a closer look at how City’s stars performed and the minutes they logged before the resumption of a busy domestic and European schedule.
City Players in Action: Minutes Played and Key Contributions
- Erling Haaland: The Norwegian talisman continued his sensational form, captaining Norway in their Nations League matches against Slovenia and Kazakhstan. Scoring four goals and providing one assist, Haaland became the Nations League’s all-time top scorer with 19 goals. He played a combined 173 minutes across the two matches.
- Ederson: The Brazilian shot-stopper played the full 90 minutes in both of Brazil’s World Cup qualifiers against Venezuela and Uruguay, which ended in 1-1 draws.
- Bernardo Silva: The Portuguese maestro played 77 minutes in Portugal’s commanding 5-1 victory over Poland before being granted an early return to City by Roberto Martinez.
- Kyle Walker: The experienced defender captained England in their 3-0 win over Greece, completing the full 90 minutes. In the 5-0 win over Ireland, he played 62 minutes before being substituted.
- Rico Lewis: The youngster impressed by completing the full match against Greece but remained an unused substitute in the Ireland game.
- Josko Gvardiol: The Croatian defender played every minute of their matches, scoring Croatia’s only goal in a 1-1 draw with Portugal and completing the 90 minutes in their 1-0 loss to Scotland.
- Savinho: The Brazilian winger featured prominently in Brazil’s qualifiers, playing 141 minutes across both matches before being substituted in the second halves.
- James McAtee: The midfielder played the full 90 minutes in both of England U21’s friendlies against Spain and the Netherlands.
- Mateo Kovacic: The Croatian midfielder completed a full match against Scotland but was substituted at halftime during their draw with Portugal.
- Stefan Ortega: City’s backup goalkeeper remained an unused substitute in Germany’s Nations League fixtures against Bosnia and Hungary.
City’s Road to Recovery
After a difficult run of form prior to the break, Guardiola’s men face a packed schedule:
- 23rd November: Premier League clash vs. Tottenham
- 26th November: Champions League group match vs. Feyenoord
- 1st December: Premier League showdown vs. Liverpool
With injuries and fitness issues plaguing recent weeks, Pep Guardiola and his staff will be hoping for a clean bill of health to stabilize their season and challenge for titles across all fronts.
