PEP DROPS SUBTLE HINTS ON ERLING HAALAND, RODRI FITNESS
Manchester City hint at Erling Haaland and Rodri's fitness return as both are pictured in training ahead of the Bournemouth clash. Guardiola remains cautious over Rodri's availability.
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                                Pep Guardiola drops training clue as Haaland, Rodri return - COURTESY/PHOTO
                            
                            Before this weekend's match against Bournemouth, Erling Haaland and Rodri were spotted working with their teammates, giving Manchester City a clue as to their fitness.
In South Wales, when City lost to the Championship team in the Carabao Cup fourth round, Omar Marmoush began at the top instead of Haaland.
Gonaclo Franco gave the home team the lead, but Jeremy Doku gave the Premier League team an equalizer on minute 39.
Before Rayan Cherki clinched the victory in the third minute of stoppage time, solidifying City's spot in the round of eight, Marmoush turned the tie around on minute 77.
Rayan Ait-Nouri continued his injury recovery, and wonderkid Divine Mukasa and Nico Gonzalez started in midfield as part of Guardiola's extensive rotation of his starting lineup.
Despite Haaland's entire exclusion from the squad, City appears to have allayed concerns about his fitness by showing him during Thursday's training.
The same is true with Rodri, but the City manager was a little more circumspect in his assessment of the midfielder's weekend availability when he spoke following the Swansea victory.
Guardiola remarked, "Rodri is still not [ready]."
He is improving, and he is somewhat training with us. Naturally, however, given the two instances of the muscle injuries, we will check on him this week.
 
                                POSITIVE UPDATE ON DéSIRé DOUé INJURY AFTER EARLY ALARMING REPORTS
PSG's Désiré Doué suffers a significant thigh injury, set to miss several weeks. Initial fears of a long absence are tempered by new reports suggesting a potential return before the end of 2025, with December a hopeful target.
 
                                                                                                                                                                                                        
                                    Doué’s situation is better than initially feared, reassuring - COURTESY/PHOTO
                                
                                In Paris Saint-Germain's 1-1 draw with FC Lorient, 20-year-old Désiré Doué suffered his second major injury of the year. The France international departed the stadium on crutches after being taken off on a stretcher halfway through the first half. 
The Frenchman may actually miss several months of activity, as L'Équipe stated that Doué's absence will be measured in "weeks at least." Since then, the club has acknowledged that he has a right thigh injury. He will be out of play for a few weeks, PSG indicated, and they would provide further information after the international break.
An early comeback before the year's end?
But according to Fabrice Hawkins, Doué's injuries may not be as severe as initially thought. There is some optimism that he will return in 2025, possibly in December. In the event that he does not, he is expected to resume operations in January 2026.
 
                                    BARCELONA CONFIRM SPOTIFY CAMP NOU REOPENING DATE FOR NOVEMBER
Barcelona's long-awaited return to the Spotify Camp Nou is imminent. The club expects the final license in mid-November, potentially allowing them to host Athletic Club on November 22nd for a historic homecoming after over a year away.
 
                                                                                                                                                                                                        
                                    Spotify Camp Nou prepares for fan return this November - Image via FC Barcelona
                                
                                Barcelona has been looking forward to the day they may return to the Spotify Camp Nou ever since they left in June 2023. The club has set dates for returning home for the majority of the past 12 months, but none of them have been met as of yet. However, this could be about to change.
The Spotify Camp Nou can now accommodate games with up to 27,000 spectators after Barcelona's recent acquisition of the first occupancy license for phase 1A. Despite this, it was agreed that they would not return until they acquired the license for phase 1B, which would enable an additional 45,000 spectators to watch games. In the interim, it would be more cost-effective to play at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys.
Barcelona's match against Elche this weekend at Montjuic may be their last La Liga match there. According to Sport, the club anticipates that between November 12 and 15, it will obtain the required license from the Barcelona City Council.
Barcelona has set dates for a potential comeback.
According to the source, a return next weekend is also feasible, although if this is the case, Barcelona would be able to play Athletic Club at the Spotify Camp Nou on November 22. On the 29th, which also marks the 126th anniversary of the club's founding, the Catalans play Alaves, providing an opportunity for a more elaborate celebration.
Although games should soon be able to be played in the famous stadium, it was recently reported that Barcelona plans to hold an open training session at the Spotify Camp Nou in preparation for their trip to Celta Vigo the following weekend.
 
        
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