Quadruple Manchester City injury update delivered ahead of Burnley, Monaco, and Brentford clashes | OneFootball

A quartet of Manchester City stars are not expected to return to action for Pep Guardiola’s side until after the upcoming international break.

City’s treatment room has remained busier than Guardiola would have liked in the opening stages of the new campaign, with multiple first-team players sidelined across different competitions.

Injuries to summer signings and established stars alike have forced the Catalan coach to lean heavily on rotation, younger players, and tactical adjustments to navigate a packed fixture schedule in the first few weeks and months.

Rayan Cherki’s absence has perhaps been the most prominent, given the Frenchman’s bright start to life at the Etihad Stadium prior to a hamstring setback. Meanwhile, Abdukodir Khusanov was ruled out by Guardiola following the 1-1 draw with Arsenal, missing three games across three competitions.

Full-back Rayan Aït-Nouri, signed from Premier League competition in Wolves to strengthen defensive depth, has also seen his momentum disrupted after suffering an ankle injury against Tottenham, and possibly aggravated against Brighton.

In addition, Omar Marmoush’s own issue sustained on international duty with Egypt has deprived Manchester City of another attacking option, at a time when Pep Guardiola has been balancing minutes across his frontline. With Phil Foden stepping up creatively and Erling Haaland continuing to shoulder the scoring burden, reinforcements will be welcomed sooner rather than later.

And according to the information of the Manchester Evening News’ Tyrone Marshall, City expect to have all of Khusanov, Ait-Nouri, Cherki and Marmoush available for selection again after the upcoming October international break.

It is stated that the quartet are all eyeing Everton at the Etihad Stadium on October 18 as a potential return date, with Cherki in particular having made good progress and starting his rehabilitation work despite an initial timeframe of ‘two months’ out issued by Pep Guardiola.

A report from French media on Thursday suggested that the former Lyon attacking midfielder could be in contention for a return as soon as next week when City travel to Monaco in the Champions League, although it is now being suggested that the view within the club remains that the clash with Everton is his more likely return date.

As for Rayan Ait-Nouri, who had initially sustained an ankle problem in the defeat to Tottenham, the Algerian is not expected to return to City training until the end of the October international break at the earliest.

Finally, concerning Omar Marmoush, the Egyptian forward is also being considered as more likely to return to action after the break, despite Pep Guardiola originally suggesting that an appearance before the pause for national team duties could be on the cards.

The timing of these returns could prove crucial with Everton’s visit to the Etihad marking the beginning of another congested run of fixtures, and Pep Guardiola will be eager to have his squad close to full strength as City push on in the Premier League and Champions League.

With Burnley, AS Monaco, and Brentford to navigate in the meantime, academy players such as Stephen Mfuni and Divine Mukasa may again find themselves drafted into first-team squads for valuable experience.

Looking further ahead, how quickly Cherki, Aït-Nouri, Khusanov, and Marmoush can regain rhythm and sharpness may shape Manchester City’s performances heading into the winter, with Guardiola having often stressed the importance of building momentum before the hectic festive schedule.