Pep Guardiola issues worrying Jeremy Doku injury update ahead of Tottenham clash | OneFootball

Manchester City are expecting to be without Jeremy Doku when they travel to face Tottenham in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.

The Belgian had been central to City’s response following recent setbacks, with Pep Guardiola placing renewed emphasis on creativity in the final third after defeats to Manchester United and Bodo/Glimt, despite their win over Wolves on Saturday.

Against Galatasaray in midweek, Manchester City looked much sharper and more assertive in attacking areas of the pitch, and Jeremy Doku – operating centrally – was once again at the heart of their attacking play before being forced off.

City’s progression via the top eight of the Champions League table eased immediate European pressure after the shock loss in Norway last week – a result that had left their automatic qualification position in doubt.

A controlled performance at the Etihad Stadium ensured they avoided a February play-off tie, and Doku’s influence was evident from the opening stages, with his pace and direct running stretching Galatasaray’s defensive line.

He was involved in the build-up to both goals, first threading a perfectly weighted pass for Erling Haaland to break his open-play scoring drought, and then showing composure in the final third to set up Rayan Cherki for a powerful finish.

Now, following his withdrawal from action shortly before the half-time interval against Galatasaray on Wednesday night, Pep Guardiola has offered further details on the Belgian’s injury concern.

Guardiola told reporters during his post-match press conference, “He looks injured. The calf. He felt something. (Out for the weekend against Tottenham?) I think so.”

“Jeremy [Doku] has had these little problems; his muscles, with the demands, his effort,” he continued. “But yeah, hopefully [by] March [in the UEFA Champions League], he can be ready to help us because in [Real] Madrid he was exceptional, for example, I remember.

“In Norway [vs Bodo/Glimt], he couldn’t play from what everybody knows what happened in Old Trafford. Unfortunately he’s not ready for a few more days.”

In a separate interview with television broadcasters, Guardiola continued, “He’s a big miss. Jeremy is such an important player for many reasons; the creativity in the final third. But we’ll see.”

The update will worry supporters given the importance of the Tottenham fixture in the context of the ongoing Premier League title race, with Manchester City aiming to stabilise their English top-flight form after a turbulent run of results.

Jeremy Doku has become one of Pep Guardiola’s most reliable sources of penetration in wide areas, and his absence would significantly reduce Manchester City’s ability to stretch compact defensive structures.

Thankfully for City, they will most likely turn to Antoine Semenyo to deliver the same sort of threat from wider areas of the pitch in North London, and in other crunch clashes on the horizon that Doku could yet miss.

With Champions League knockout football coming and the title race delicately poised, City will be hoping Doku’s calf issue proves short-term and a return in time for March could yet be decisive in the defining stages of the season.