Manchester City will hope to get close to a clean bill of health after the October international break.
The reigning champions’ latest title defence to date has been disrupted by injury issues, with the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Nathan Ake and Oscar Bobb having been sidelined for weeks and key midfielder Rodri lost for the season following knee surgery.
Pep Guardiola’s side did not appear to sustain any fresh injury worries during Saturday’s somewhat nervy 3-2 home win over Fulham, which saw Mateo Kovacic net twice and Jeremy Doku also on target after City had surprisingly fallen behind in the first half and were then pegged back again late on to set up an uncomfortable finish.
However, ultimately it was enough for them to get back to winning ways after a mini-blip in which they dropped points in back-to-back top-flight games against Arsenal and Newcastle before thrashing Slovakian outfit Slovan Bratislava in the Champions League.
Here is all the latest Man City injury news, with Wolves, Sparta Prague and Southampton all awaiting after the break before a high-profile Carabao Cup last-16 showdown with Tottenham.
Kevin De Bruyne
De Bruyne has missed each of the last five matches across all competitions after being forced off at half-time of last month’s Champions League stalemate against Inter Milan.
His expected return date appears to have been pushed back a couple of times already, with Guardiola recently stating that he hoped to have De Bruyne back after the international break as he clarified the experienced playmaker was suffering with a pelvic issue.
The 33-year-old is not in the latest Belgium squad to face Italy and France in the Nations League, while Red Devils boss Domenico Tedesco also revealed last week that he had already pre-emptively asked not to be considered for November’s games against Italy and Israel, either.
While that sparked fresh concerns that De Bruyne was still some way off returning, it seems the request was made just so that he could manage his fitness as the fixtures come thick and fast.
“It’s not a big issue, but he still doesn’t feel good, we’re managing his fitness issues,” Guardiola said, insisting that De Bruyne was still feeling the effects of surgery from earlier this year.
“It’s better, less minutes, but the players don’t say that. They want to play every single game. That’s nice. That’s fine. But sometimes the body sends warnings.
“I’m here, so we have to [be careful], because they are human, a lot of games, a lot of years, many years injured, and the consequences are here.”
Potential return date: October 20, vs Wolves
Nathan Ake
Ake watched the win over Fulham alongside De Bruyne in the stands at the Etihad Stadium, having not played since suffering a hamstring injury while on international duty with the Netherlands last month.
“Yeah, I expect him back after the international break,” Guardiola said of versatile defender Ake on Friday. “I would say without injury, but Nathan is not like Phil Foden, for example, that [clicks fingers] are into training sessions and fit.
“He needs time. The info I had yesterday is that he has started training on the pitch and we will see.”
Potential return date: October 20, vs Wolves
Oscar Bobb
The talented Norwegian youngster, 21, had been making a real impact at City before he suffered a leg fracture in training ahead of the clash with Chelsea on the opening day of the Premier League season.
Bobb - who started the Community Shield win over Manchester United at Wembley in August - underwent surgery and was ruled out for three to four months, likely putting his comeback at around December time.
Potential return date: December
Rodri
Rodri suffered ACL and meniscus damage during the first half of the draw with Arsenal and worst fears that he would miss the rest of the season were quickly realised.
"He had surgery this morning, ACL and some meniscus," Guardiola said of Rodri ahead of the recent draw with Newcastle. "Next season he will be here. This season is over [for him]. It is what it is.
"Unfortunately, we got the worst [news] but it is what it is at this level. Sometimes, unfortunately, it happens. We are just there to support him and [help him make a] good recovery, step by step, and move forward.”
