Manchester City reveal club stance on first-team star’s availability for AFCON | OneFootball

Manchester City reportedly will not approve an early exit for Omar Marmoush as Egypt look to call upon the forward for the 2026 Africa Cup of Nations.

Marmoush joined the ranks at the Etihad Stadium in January to bolster City’s attacking options. After Julian Alvarez joined Atletico Madrid last summer, the Blues were left with no senior striker besides Erling Haaland, which is simply not sustainable with the heavy fixture congestion.

This raised a multitude of eyebrows in the media – not because the Egyptian was not an impeccable signing – but because City’s new number seven was simply viewed as too talented to be restricted to the shadow of Haaland, so questions were asked with regard to whether Marmoush would be content with his minutes.

The signing of the 26-year-old has so proved to be great business, as £59 million for the services of such a talented and versatile winger is expert recruitment in modern football.

It is Marmoush’s versatility, enabling him to play in behind Haaland in the role or out wide on the left and still provide an equal goal threat, that makes the transfer of the former Eintracht Frankfurt man even more beneficial for Guardiola and City.

The Egypt international has scored nine goals and provided two assists so far in his City career, with his most recent contribution being the excellent goal against Swansea City in the Carabao Cup in his first start following his return from injury. Marmoush, across both his former and current club, managed an impressive 42 goal contributions last season in all competitions.

This goalscoring prowess will be absent from the City squad in the near future, however, as Marmoush prepares to lace up his boots on the international stage for Egypt over the winter period, which, depending on his country’s successes in the tournament, could see him away from club action for up to 10 games.

The final is scheduled to take place on January 18, with City playing away at Bodo/Glimt two days later in the Champions League – a trip Marmoush would be unlikely to make.

The Egypt National Team play a pre-tournament friendly against Nigeria on December 14 – when Manchester City make a tough away visit to Selhurst Park against Crystal Palace in the Premier League. Therefore, the Blues’ hierarchy will not release the number seven to his nation despite the wishes of the Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan.

Egypt are taking part in a friendly tournament in the United Arab Emirates prior to beginning a training camp two weeks out from AFCON. Subsequent to this, the Pharaohs’ opening fixture is against Zimbabwe on December 22 in a group also containing South Africa and Angola.

With Marmoush set to possibly be unavailable to the Sky Blues for just under a month, it remains to be seen just how Manchester City will cope with the absence of his goalscoring prowess within the first-team squad.