MAN CITY BLOW! KEY STAR MISSES TRAINING AFTER FRESH INJURY SETBACK
Man City's Rodri remains absent from training, casting doubt on his availability against Everton. The midfielder is still managing a hamstring issue, but Ait-Nouri and Marmoush return as injury boosts.
Rodri, the central midfielder, is still having trouble staying healthy, so Manchester City resumed training without him on Thursday.
Rodri has only played two complete games this season and only played 22 minutes of City's narrow 1-0 victory at Brentford before the international break.
A hamstring injury resembling the one he suffered in the 2024 European Championship final caused the Spain star to leave the game.
Rodri skipped the international games and said the problem was not serious, but he has not rejoined Pep Guardiola's team before their match against Everton this weekend.
After the 29-year-old had an ACL injury last season, City has tried to gradually get him back into action. Guardiola recently hinted that his metronome has been pressing for more minutes than his body would be able to provide.
In addition, Guardiola has emphasised that Rodri's peak performance will not return until the World Cup in North America or even the next season as he recovers from the severe knee injury.
Rodri, a midfielder for Manchester City, has not practised with Pep Guardiola's team this week.
During their victory over Brentford, the 29-year-old suffered a hamstring injury in the first half.
Rodri (right) said the problem was not serious when he skipped Spain's international matches.
Rayan Ait-Nouri (left) and Omar Marmoush (right) are currently fully training with the squad.
While City had two injury boosts before their matchup with the Toffees at the Etihad Stadium, Nico Gonzalez has shown excellent play in that position and should continue against them.
Rayan Ait-Nouri and Omar Marmoush are both fully training with the squad. Ait-Nouri missed the most recent City games due to an ankle ailment, and Marmoush has been sidelined for more than a month due to a knee problem.
Nico O'Reilly, a recent England call-up, and Jeremy Doku have filled in during their absences, and the two are fighting for a slot again. Training for Abdukodir Khusanov has not yet resumed.
THE REAL: REASON JEREMY DOKU BELIEVES THE NEXT FOUR GAMES WILL DEFINE CITY’S SEASON
Jeremy Doku praises City's pride after Bernardo Silva's red card, eyeing redemption in Sunday's Carabao Cup final.
Jérémy Doku sees winning the Carabao Cup as a helpful way for Manchester City to bounce back from their Champions League disappointment. After being knocked out by Real Madrid for the third consecutive year, with a 5-1 aggregate loss in the round of 16, the team faces a tough challenge to regroup quickly.
Pep Guardiola's squad now has to shift focus to their upcoming trip to Wembley, where they’ll take on Arsenal on Sunday. Despite the setback in Europe, Doku feels that lifting a trophy this week would help erase the recent frustration.
He said, “It’s a good way to recover. We’ll do everything we can to win that game and bring home a trophy. The next four matches really matter. We have to recover well for Sunday and then take it one game at a time.”
What lies ahead will likely define the city's season. After the Carabao Cup final, they face an FA Cup quarterfinal against Liverpool following the international break, as well as two critical Premier League games against Chelsea and Arsenal.
“There’s still plenty at stake,” Doku added. “We’re competing in three different competitions, with three trophies still on the table. If we manage to win one, it’ll still be a strong season for us. Of course, missing out on the Champions League is disappointing. It’s always a special trophy. But we have to learn from those games against Real Madrid, recover properly, and focus on what’s next.”
City endured a tough week, following a 3-0 loss in Madrid with a narrow 2-1 defeat at the Etihad. One pivotal moment was Bernardo Silva’s early red card in the second leg.
Yet, Doku draws some confidence from how the team performed despite being down to 10 men against such a formidable opponent.
“We have reasons to be proud,” he reflected. “Playing against a team like Real Madrid with one less player and still causing them problems isn’t something every team can do. We didn’t get the win, but we can look each other in the eye knowing we gave a good performance both with 11 players and with 10. We created chances and played well.”
He went on to say, “If we bring that kind of effort to every match, we’ll trouble many teams. There are valuable takeaways from this game that we can carry into the next.”
WHY PEP GUARDIOLA CANCELLED TRAINING BEFORE MANCHESTER CITY’S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE REMATCH
Pep Guardiola cancels Manchester City training to combat fatigue ahead of the 3-0 comeback attempt vs Real Madrid.
Pep Guardiola has shared his reasoning for skipping training the day before Manchester City’s crucial Champions League last-16 second leg against Real Madrid at the Etihad. Facing a tough three-goal deficit from their 3-0 loss at the Bernabeu last week, City are up against the difficult task of overturning this against a team that has won Europe’s top trophy 15 times.
Historically, only four teams have managed to claw back a gap of three or more goals in the knockout stages, so the challenge ahead is immense. Guardiola acknowledges his players will need to deliver an almost flawless performance if they hope to stage a remarkable comeback on home turf. Still, he remains hopeful they will create plenty of scoring chances against Alvaro Arbeloa’s side.
In a somewhat unexpected move, Guardiola has decided to give his first team a day off on Monday, opting for a light session just hours before kickoff on Tuesday. At Monday’s press conference, he explained the logic behind this approach, citing the fatigue from travel and recent matches. After returning late from Madrid, then heading to London for a Premier League draw against West Ham, the players have had a packed schedule. Guardiola feels a day of rest will serve them better than trying to squeeze in more training.
He further emphasised the mental aspect, pointing out that mental strength plays a big role in how well they perform. He plans to assess the players’ condition and conduct training on Tuesday afternoon. With travel taking its toll and players spontaneously connecting with their families, he believes keeping them relaxed and fresh is crucial.
Captain Bernardo Silva, who was the only City player present for media duties, supported Guardiola’s decision. He reflected on past occasions when the team took rest days following both wins and losses, trusting the manager’s judgement to help them regroup and come back stronger.
On team news, Guardiola revealed he has most of his starting lineup settled, though one spot remains uncertain. Josko Gvardiol (tibial fracture) and Rico Lewis (ankle) are sidelined, but Mateo Kovacic has returned to the bench after recovering from a lengthy ankle and heel injury. With these preparations in place, City will be charging into a daunting but pivotal night against one of Europe’s giants.
