Manchester City learn Omar Marmoush and Rayan Ait-Nouri availability ahead of Everton clash | OneFootball

Omar Marmoush and Rayan Ait-Nouri are back in full first-team training for Manchester City ahead of Saturday’s Premier League clash with Everton.

The pair have spent the last month on the sidelines after being a regular feature in Pep Guardiola’s starting XIs in the opening weeks of their first full season at the Etihad Stadium. Marmoush joined City from Eintracht Frankfurt in January and Ait-Nouri was Hugo Viana’s first signing as Manchester City sporting director in June.

City have recovered from their early season slump – marked by back-to-back defeats to Tottenham and Brighton in their opening trio of Premier League games – since August and have climbed up to fifth place in the league table ahead of this weekend’s visit from the Toffees.

Erling Haaland has been a superior driving force behind Guardiola and co turning a corner and avoiding defeat in all competitions since August, with the 25-year-old Norwegian netting the winner in a hard-fought 1-0 win away at Brentford before the international break.

Manchester City have tightened their backline after losses to Tottenham and Brighton in August brought back memories of their defensive frailties of their 2024-25 campaign – Guardiola’s most challenging season at the Etihad Stadium.

City are undergoing a period of transition on the pitch after a crossroads summer transfer window, which witnessed the introduction of seven new first-team signings and a series of notable exits from Guardiola’s squad in the backdrop of a dormant 2024 summer transfer window.

The deadline day capture of Gianluigi Donnarumma from Paris Saint-Germain is proving to be Manchester City’s most shrewd pieces of transfer business of the window, with the 26-year-old Italy international already proving his value in a dressing room that needs as many leaders as it can get after losing the likes of Kevin De Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan in the last six months.

Haaland’s form and Donnarumma’s prowess have dragged Manchester City out of their slump as the Blues look to build of their pre-international break momentum and mount a challenge for the Premier League title after a disappointing third-place finish last season.

Ahead of Saturday’s Premier League visit of Jack Grealish and Everton, Guardiola has been handed a massive fitness boost as the pair of Ait-Nouri and Marmoush took part in full first-team training for the Blues on Thursday, as confirmed by Mail Sport’s Jack Gaughan.

Ait-Nouri is unlikely to be thrown straight into action and will almost certainly be phased back in off the bench, with Guardiola and his staff more wary than ever of the recurring nature of injuries amidst ongoing concerns around the fitness of Ballon d’Or winning midfielder Rodri.

Meanwhile, Nico O’Reilly has proven that he is more than capable of holding down the left-back slot in the absence of City’s £31 million summer signing from Wolves and is expected to retain his place in the starting XI against Everton.

Marmoush endured a thigh injury in the September international break and is also likely to be named on the bench against the Toffees, with newly-wed Jeremy Doku proving himself to Guardiola as a reliable starter for Manchester City since his heroics in a 3-1 derby win over Manchester United last month.