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PEP GUARDIOLA RECEIVES MAJOR BOOST WITH TRIO’S RETURN THREE MAN CITY STARS SET FOR EVERTON COMEBACK

Man City faces a fitness crisis with Rodri's new setback a major concern. Get the latest on his injury, plus updates on Cherki's early return and the latest on Ait-Nouri, Khusanov & Marmoush ahead of a crucial fixture run.

Pep Guardiola receives major boost with trio’s return  Three Man City stars set for Everton comeback
Pep Guardiola

Man City is dealing with several serious fitness issues at a pivotal point in the season. Players have experienced premature setbacks that jeopardise the stability and balance of the group, while others are getting closer to making a recovery. Those who are hoping for a healthy outcome over the international break would have to be content with cautious optimism instead of absolute certainty.

Another setback for Rodri

Players are as vital to City's rhythm as Rodri, so his frequent fitness problems are a serious worry. The midfield player has been closely watched after suffering a severe knee injury, but it seems like his workload has caught up with him.

He was selected again after starting against Monaco, but he only played 22 minutes before leaving the game. Guardiola's recent remarks regarding his health suddenly became more significant.

"Everyone understood why I substituted Rodri against Monaco today," Guardiola told reporters, answering questions. "We are waiting for those tests; I don't know how long he will be out," he continued.

No return date has been set, and a prolonged absence would necessitate an unwelcome midfield reorganisation.

Rayan Cherki's Unexpected Comeback Is Near

At least one sight at the Gtech Community Stadium seemed promising. Originally slated to remain sidelined for "two months, seven or eight weeks", Rayan Cherki unexpectedly made an appearance on the bench about a month ahead of schedule.

Before his progress was stopped by a thigh injury, the £30 million summer acquisition had only made two competitive games, scoring on his debut. Despite missing the Brentford match, his selection suggests he will soon be fully involved following the international break.

Return date possible: against. Everton (H) on October 18, 2025

Defensive Issues Persist

Due to an ankle injury sustained during the August home loss to Manchester City, Rayan Ait-Nouri is still out. His absence from Algeria's most recent roster indicates he is not yet ready to return, since eight games have gone by without him playing.

Date of possible return: Unknown

Similar circumstances apply to Abdukodir Khusanov. He was sent off against Arsenal at halftime, and Guardiola declared him out for "the next three games". The final of those games was Brentford, but he didn't play. Now, he has less than two weeks to get in shape.

Possible return: October 18, 2025, against Everton (H)

A Slower Recovery for Marmoush Than Anticipated

It was anticipated that Omar Marmoush would return before this international window; however, he has not shown up. With Egypt, the forward injured his knee ligament and hasn't returned yet. Uncertainty surrounds whether his recovery has been a setback or if it has just taken longer than anticipated.

Return date possible: against. Everton (H) on October 18, 2025

"I’M UPSET" PEP GUARDIOLA’S HILARIOUS RESPONSE TO MANCHESTER CITY’S TRANSFER BUDGET

Pep Guardiola hits back at "big spender" claims, revealing six clubs have higher net spends than City. Get the full injury news.

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Pep Guardiola mocks "big spender" label

Pep Guardiola couldn’t resist poking fun at Manchester City’s big-spender label, joking that he’s annoyed with the club’s bosses for not splashing out even more in the transfer market. City did bring in Antoine Semenyo and Marc Guehi in January, bumping their spending over the last year to £430 million. But here’s the thing—City have also raked in hundreds of millions from player sales, and if you look at net spend over the last five years, six Premier League clubs, including Newcastle (who they’re facing in the Carabao Cup semi-final), have actually outspent them.

Guardiola has pushed back plenty of times against the idea that City just buy their way to success. This time, he couldn’t resist turning the spotlight on the teams that have spent even more. “Honestly, I’m a bit sad and upset because, in terms of net spend, we’re only seventh in the league over the past five years. I want to be first—I don’t get why the club doesn’t spend more. I’m a little grumpy with them,” he laughed.

He kept going: “People say we only win because we spend tonnes of money, but now there are six teams ahead of us. So, they’ve got to win all the Premier Leagues, Champions Leagues, and FA Cups, right? That’s just the reality, not an opinion.

“You can argue about how we played against Spurs—good or bad, that’s up for debate. But these spending numbers? That’s just a fact. Good luck to those six teams ahead of us on net spend. Let’s see what they do. That’s a good quote, isn’t it?”

Right now, City has a 2-0 lead over Newcastle with one leg left in the Carabao Cup semi-final. They’re hungry for another trip to Wembley, but hanging onto leads hasn’t been easy for them this season.

“That’s our focus right now,” Guardiola said. “We’re one game away from making a fifth Carabao Cup final in ten years. Sure, I’d rather start 2-0 up, but we know how tough it is against Newcastle. They’ve got Champions League pride; they always fight.

“We’ve got to be ready. Let’s see how the players bounce back after that hard game at Spurs. We’ll play our football, with our fans behind us, and try to book our place at Wembley in March.”

THE 10-GAME DROUGHT OVER: HOW HAALAND FINALLY FOUND THE NET AGAIN TODAY.

Erling Haaland ends his 10-game goal drought as Manchester City beat Galatasaray 2-0 to secure a spot in the UCL Last 16.

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City through to Last 16 as Haaland ends his scoring drought

Erling Haaland finally broke his scoring drought, and Manchester City squeezed into the last 16 of the Champions League with a 2-0 win over Galatasaray.

Haaland hadn’t scored from open play in ten matches, but he put that to rest with a calm finish. Rayan Cherki gave City their second just before halftime. Pep Guardiola’s team handled the Turkish side at the Etihad, but honestly, it wasn’t a smooth ride.

Other results went City’s way, so this win pushed the defending champions up to eighth in the league phase. That means they dodged the dreaded play-off round—the one that tripped them up last season.

After the final whistle, players, coaches, and fans were left waiting for results from other games. When word came through that Real Madrid had lost at Benfica, everyone in sky blue could finally relax. They’d done enough.

The night wasn’t all good news, though. Jeremy Doku, who lit up the first half and set up both goals, picked up an injury and joined City’s already long list of casualties.

Still, City will be relieved. They won’t have to deal with two extra games next month, and with four competitions on the go, every bit of rest matters.

Galatasaray’s travelling fans showed up in force. They packed city bars, marched through the streets, and set off fireworks on the way to the ground. But by the end, they were silent.

Their team, featuring old City faces Ilkay Gundogan and Leroy Sane, managed to cling onto a spot in the top 24. Not much to celebrate, but it’s something.

City came out flying. They nearly scored inside three minutes when Rayan Ait-Nouri whipped in a cross for Haaland, but the Norwegian headed wide.

He didn’t miss his next chance. Seven minutes later, Doku zipped through the Galatasaray defence and slipped a pass to Haaland, who raced clear. Bardakci couldn’t keep up, and goalkeeper Cakir had no chance as Haaland coolly chipped the ball over him.

The city pushed for more. Cakir had to tip over a rocket from Nico O’Reilly. The second goal arrived in 29 minutes—Doku danced into the box, pulled it back for Cherki, and Cherki swept it home.

That was Doku’s last big moment. After taking some rough hits in recent games, he picked up another knock and limped off.

Galatasaray barely threatened before halftime, apart from a weak effort from Victor Osimhen. But they found more energy after the break, especially after Kurdish demonstrators briefly paused the game.

Osimhen was their main danger man. He headed at Gianluigi Donnarumma, then forced a save with a first-time shot.

The city nearly added a third when Omar Marmoush found himself in a great spot but lost his footing at the crucial moment.

A clash of heads between Tijjani Reijnders and Davinson Sanchez brought a long stoppage. Both players got bandaged up and played on, but the tempo never really picked up again.

The game fizzled out, but City did what they needed to do. They’re through.

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