Guardiola disappointed by injury blow for Man City midfielder | OneFootball

Manchester City face Tottenham Hotspur this weekend, and Pep Guardiola has provided a mixed update on his squad’s fitness.

Speaking at his Friday press conference, Guardiola confirmed some defensive reinforcements but revealed further issues in midfield and among younger players.

Midfielder Mateo Kovacic will be sidelined for three weeks to a month after sustaining an injury during international duty with Croatia.

This compounds City’s midfield concerns, with Rodri already ruled out for the season. Kovacic had been pivotal in recent weeks, starting seven of City’s last ten matches, but he could now miss as many as eight games leading up to Christmas.

Guardiola expressed frustration over the situation, describing Kovacic’s absence as a ‘hammer blow’ but found relief in the improving availability of his defenders.

John Stones, Manuel Akanji and Nathan Ake have returned to training, giving City three central defensive options after weeks of struggling with limited depth. However, Ruben Dias remains unavailable, although he is expected back soon.

“John trained well, Manu trained well and Nathan is coming back,” Guardiola said. “We didn’t have any centre-backs, and now we have three.

“I don’t know if they’re ready to play ninety minutes, but to see their faces in training was a big boost for all of us.”

Meanwhile, Guardiola criticised England’s handling of young centre-back Max Alleyne, who returned injured from international duty.

He blamed overuse during training and matches with the England U21 and U20 squads for the player’s condition, which could see him sidelined for up to a month.

The national teams need to be in closer contact with our doctors,” Guardiola added. “Max trained with the U21s in the morning and the U20s in the afternoon, then played two games when not fully fit. It’s normal he came back injured.”

While Kovacic and Alleyne’s absences add to City’s challenges, there is optimism for the return of other players.

Jeremy Doku, Phil Foden and Jack Grealish have resumed training after minor setbacks during the international break and may feature against Tottenham, although Guardiola provided no specific update on their availability.

City’s injury issues have tested their squad depth this season, but Guardiola remains focused on managing the recovery process as his side prepares for a crucial Premier League clash.