Man City star to miss Manchester derby after picking up injury on international duty | OneFootball

Manchester City have confirmed Omar Marmoush will be absent from this weekend’s Manchester derby after being forced off on international duty with a knee injury.

The Egyptian attacker was representing his national side in a World Cup qualifier against Burkina Faso. However, he went down injured following a strong challenge less than five minutes into the match. After initially attempting to play on, the 26-year-old was forced off the pitch in the tenth minute of the game.

The Egyptian Football Association released a statement regarding the forward’s condition, saying: “Omar Marmoush suffers a bruised knee ligament. The player will undergo an X-ray upon his arrival to Cairo (on) Wednesday morning.”

In a statement released Wednesday lunchtime, City confirmed Marmoush will be absent from this weekend’s clash against Manchester United: “The City striker suffered the injury in the early stages of Egypt’s World Cup qualifying match with Burkina Faso on Tuesday evening.

“Initial results on a scan performed in Egypt indicate he will not be available for the Manchester derby on Sunday, and he will now return to Manchester for more assessment and to begin his rehabilitation.

“Everyone at City wishes Omar a speedy recovery.”

In his absence, Egypt went on to share the points in a goalless draw, leaving them on the verge of World Cup qualification. They have so far remained undefeated and now need just a single point from their last two matches to secure their place in their fourth-ever World Cup finals.

Marmoush will be a big miss for Pep Guardiola and City. The forward arrived at the Etihad from Eintracht Frankfurt in a £59 million deal back in January. He has since scored eight goals in 28 appearances for the team.

The timing of the forward’s injury arrives at a bad time for Guardiola’s side, who are about to face a tough run of fixtures. Marmoush started in each of the side’s last two Premier League matches – disappointing defeats against both Tottenham Hotspur and Brighton.

Now Guardiola’s side will look to bounce back against rivals Manchester United this Sunday. This is followed by the return of the Champions League in midweek, and a tricky test against Italian champions Napoli. The challenging week is then rounded off with a trip to the Emirates to face title challengers Arsenal.