“Guardiola Braces for Nerve-Wracking Wait on Man City Duo After Injury Setback Ahead of Liverpool Clash”
“Guardiola Faces Nervous Wait on Man City Duo After Double Injury Blow Before Liverpool Showdown”
“Manchester City suffered two more injury setbacks during their defeat to Real Madrid on Tuesday night, leaving Pep Guardiola facing concerns over their fitness ahead of the crucial clash with Liverpool.”
The 2023 Champions League winners now face a tough challenge to make it into this season’s round of 16, following a 3-2 loss to holders Real Madrid at the Etihad Stadium. With two goals conceded after the 86th minute, City must now win at the Bernabeu against a team with far more success in this competition.
To make matters worse, Manchester City suffered a double injury setback, as both Jack Grealish and Manuel Akanji were forced off the pitch before the second half. Grealish was substituted after just 30 minutes due to an apparent groin issue, while Akanji also seemed to be struggling with a similar injury, prompting his substitution at the break.
Manchester City will host Premier League leaders Liverpool on February 23, with Guardiola now anxiously hoping that Grealish and Akanji will recover in time for the crucial match.
More trouble for Man City ahead of Liverpool clash
While Manchester City have seen some players return from injury—Nathan Ake making an appearance off the bench and Jeremy Doku as an unused substitute—the injuries to Grealish and Akanji are a major setback. These blows come just ahead of their return leg against Real Madrid and the crucial Etihad showdown with Liverpool.
Meanwhile, Arne Slot has his own issues to address, with Joe Gomez currently sidelined. Liverpool still have three more matches to navigate before their highly anticipated encounter with the English champions in just 11 days.
Despite City’s likely surrender of their four-year hold on the Premier League title with a third of the season still remaining, and the looming prospect of a pre-March exit from Europe, the last thing Guardiola needed was to lose two more players amid a grueling stretch of fixtures.
Grealish and Akanji may still recover in time for the Liverpool match, with more detailed updates expected in the coming days. However, should they be sidelined, it would represent a significant blow for the Cityzens as they prepare for the Reds’ visit to Manchester later this month.
Like with Kai Havertz, injuries are always unfortunate, and we wish both the English forward and Swiss defender a speedy recovery.