36-goal striker to miss four major Manchester City matches after Olympic selection | OneFootball

Pep Guardiola and Manchester City are set to be without the services of Julian Alvarez for the opening weeks of the Premier League season.

The 24-year-old, who has been linked with an £80 million exit from the Etihad Stadium, will represent Argentina at a second successive tournament this summer, after the striker was chosen for the Olympics in Paris.

Alvarez is currently competing at the Copa America in the United States, with Argentina having finished top of Group A, after three wins against Canada, Chile and Peru.

The striker made 54 appearances for the Sky Blues during the recent 2023/24 campaign, scoring 19 goals and providing 13 assists for Pep Guardiola’s side across all competitions, including 20 direct goal involvements in the Premier League.

Alvarez failed to start any of Manchester City’s final four matches of the season however, featuring from the bench against West Ham in the Premier League finale and Manchester United in the Emirates FA Cup Final.

The Argentinian international played predominantly in midfield for the Sky Blues as a result of Kevin De Bruyne’s hamstring injury, despite moving to east Manchester from River Plate as a central striker in 2022.

Manchester City are set to be without the services of the 24-year-old for the opening weeks of the 2024/25 campaign however, after Alvarez was selected to represent Argentina at the Olympics in Paris this summer – a decision approved by Etihad bosses.

Alvarez is the second member of Guardiola’s squad to be selected for the Games, but as a result, the striker faces the prospect of missing four crucial matches for the Sky Blues, including the FA Community Shield.

The Athletic’s Sam Lee revealed previously that Alvarez would be granted ‘two to three weeks off’ after the 2024 Olympic Games in France, meaning the 24-year-old is set to miss matches in the Premier League against Chelsea, Ipswich Town and West Ham.

Alvarez will also miss the Blues’ four-match pre-season tour of the United States, with Manchester City’s match against Brentford after the September international seemingly the most likely return date for the Argentinian.

Manchester City full-back Sergio Gomez will also miss the pre-season tour of the USA due to participation at the Olympics, after being selected by Spain for the competition.

Guardiola’s squad travel to United States later this month, with friendlies against Celtic, AC Milan, Barcelona and Chelsea all scheduled.