Elliot Anderson facing fitness concern with Man City medical pending | OneFootball

Manchester City’s incoming midfielder Elliot Anderson is facing a fitness concern whilst at the summer’s FIFA World Cup, it has been revealed.

The administrative staff at the City Football Academy is likely to have been operating at maximum speed this week after confirmation arrived of a club-record £116 million agreement to sign the Nottingham Forest midfielder.

With incoming manager Enzo Maresca scheduled to take the reins at City in the coming days, the club’s technical department has prioritised a swift, thorough integration of the England international into their post-Pep Guardiola midfield.

To prevent any further delays, City medical personnel will be on hand across the Atlantic to oversee a medical in New York in the coming days, clearing the path for Anderson’s long-term contract signing.

Anderson has quickly established himself as a vital cog in Thomas Tuchel’s international core, putting in an impressive shift during the 0-0 draw against Ghana at Boston Stadium to solidify his reputation as one of Europe’s most efficient ball-carriers.

Elliot Anderson faces England fitness battle

Now, according to The Athletic’s David Ornstein, Elliot Anderson is a doubt for England’s Group L finale against Panama with ‘muscle soreness’, having started both of the Three Lions’ other group matches against Croatia and Ghana.

Having accumulated a total of 163 minutes in the first two matches of the competition, the report highlights that the incoming Manchester City midfielder may now not feature at MetLife Stadium owing to a glute issue.

The fitness concern and potential absence is entirely unrelated to his pending Etihad Stadium switch, however.

That being said, speaking to reporters ahead of the game, manager Thomas Tuchel insisted that his central midfielder would be available for the contest – although it was not confirmed whether that meant he would start the match.

What other business do Man City have on the agenda?

As the tournament group stages reach their dramatic conclusion, and the knockout phase of the competitions nears, the broader transfer landscape across the Premier League is likely to remain fluid.

Hugo Viana is concurrently managing an array of negotiations, including a consideration over whether to pursue Newcastle over a potential swoop for Sandro Tonali and assessing Tottenham’s push for Brazilian winger Savinho.

With Tuchel managing knocks – including a calf problem for Declan Rice and ruling out Reece James due to a minor hamstring tweak – the focus for now remains entirely on balancing international ambitions with the domestic responsibilities awaiting back in England.