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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Sport
Joe Bray

Two Man City players missing but one returns as 20 train before Sporting trip in Champions League

Jack Grealish and Gabriel Jesus look set to miss Manchester City's trip to Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League as they were not spotted in training on Monday.

City will fly to Portugal later on Monday ahead of the Champions League last-16 first leg at Sporting, and appear to be without three key first-team players.

Kyle Walker is suspended so won't feature, while Grealish does not look like he has recovered from the shin injury picked up in training last week that kept him out of the win at Norwich. Jesus has been absent since returning from international duty with some 'muscular niggles', and Guardiola had hoped both could return in time for the Sporting trip.

However, neither were part of the 20-strong outfield squad on Monday morning at the City Football Academy, reducing their chances of featuring in Portugal.

Zack Steffen also missed the Norwich game, but the training footage put out by City did not show the goalkeepers, so there is no update on his availability until Guardiola faces the media in the afternoon.

There was one training boost, though, as academy winger Sam Edozie returned to the group after a number of months out of action. He would be a surprise inclusion in the squad to face Sporting, but his return is a big positive. Cole Palmer was another player not spotted as he remains injured.

Guardiola could offer a more detailed update on Grealish, Jesus and Steffen in his pre-match press conference at 1.15pm GMT.

Full Man City squad seen training before Sporting trip: Ake, Stones, Dias, Laporte, Walker, Cancelo, Zinchenko, Mbete, Fernandinho, Rodri, Gundogan, Lavia, De Bruyne, Bernardo, Foden, Sterling, Mahrez, Delap, Edozie, Kayky.

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