Egypt plot Omar Marmoush absence for crunch Premier League clash – Early Manchester City exit ‘unlikely’ | OneFootball

Manchester City appear to be facing a battle to have Omar Marmoush available for the club’s Premier League clash with Crystal Palace in mid-December.

The winter period is already shaping up to be a major test of squad depth for Pep Guardiola’s side, with fixtures coming thick and fast across all of the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, and now the quarter-final stage of the Carabao Cup.

With injuries and international commitments often proving decisive at this point in the season, the potential early departure of Omar Marmoush for Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) duty brings an additional challenge to Manchester City’s attacking plans.

AFCON 2025 is set to take place from December 21, 2025 to January 18, 2026, meaning several Premier League sides with African internationals could face disruption during a crucial phase of the campaign.

Egypt are among the favourites heading into the tournament, drawn alongside South Africa, Angola, and Zimbabwe in the initial group stage, and will demand full preparation as they chase continental glory.

Omar Marmoush, who has steadily integrated into Pep Guardiola’s squad and offers a valuable option across the frontline, will be a key figure for Egypt this winter. His growing importance at club level makes the timing of his potential absence even more significant, particularly with City aiming to build momentum before the new year.

According to the information of journalist Ismael Mahmoud, the Egyptian Football Federation have reach an agreement to hold a friendly match against Nigeria on December 14 at the Cairo International Stadium in preparation for the African Cup of Nations.

Egypt boss Hossam Hassan is reportedly hoping to have his entire squad for AFCON available for that friendly fixture, including Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah and Manchester City’s Omar Marmoush.

However, despite the manager’s wishes, the report reveals that Hassan is unlikely to be able to include either player due to their Premier League commitments with their respective clubs on the very same day.

For Omar Marmoush, the versatile forward will likely be wanted by Manchester City for their Premier League clash away to Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park in a 14:00 (GMT) kick-off in South London.

The report does point out that while Egypt has the right to call-up its players from their clubs 14 days before the start of the continental tournament, although it is unlikely that their aforementioned Premier League duo will join up prior to their friendly on December 14.

Manchester City are certainly expected to resist any attempts to bring Omar Marmoush into Egypt’s camp early, particularly given the importance of the Selhurst Park fixture and the tight margins in the Premier League title race.

Pep Guardiola will likely need to manage his forward line carefully in the weeks leading up to AFCON, rotating options to ensure the squad remains sharp before potential international departures.

Should Egypt stand firm on their preference for early preparation, negotiations between the national side and City may intensify, but current indications suggest Marmoush will remain a part of Pep Guardiola’s set-up and plans until after the Crystal Palace meeting.

In the event of Egypt reaching the final of AFCON 2025, Omar Marmoush could narrowly miss City’s away clash against Manchester United in the Premier League, possibly returning in time for a Champions League away trip to the Arctic Circle against Bodo/Glimt on January, 20.