Manchester City will be without five of their first-team squad this weekend as they travel to face Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League.
Pep Guardiola and his players come into their fourth away fixture in a row off the back of three defeats in succession, having exited the Carabao Cup at the fourth round stage, and lost to Bournemouth on the south coast last weekend in back-to-back 2-1 defeats.
Matters were made worse in UEFA Champions League action too, as Ruben Amorim’s Sporting side issued a 4-1 dismantling of Manchester City’s unit in the Portuguese capital, including a hat-trick from Viktor Gyokeres.
It was the latest damning reflection of how the current Manchester City squad are continuing to struggle in the absence of Rodri in the heart of the defensive midfield, coupled with a ravaging injury and fitness crisis among starring names.
And as preparations get underway for the visit to Brighton this weekend, Pep Guardiola has now issued a further update on the fitness picture within his squad, ruling out a total of five players for the clash at the Amex Stadium.
Quizzed on whether there had been any changes to the situation that faced the club away to Sporting CP on Tuesday night, Guardiola responded, “No good news. The same as Lisboa. The same guys who travelled, still they are there.”
As such, that leaves Manchester City without Ruben Dias and John Stones, as well as Jack Grealish, despite the latter’s inclusion in the latest England squad selected by interim head coach Lee Carsley this week.
Rodri and Oscar Bobb remain long-term absentees following their more serious injuries sustained earlier this season, with the Ballon d’Or winner and Spain international not expected to play any further part in the ongoing campaign.
As for Bobb, the Norwegian forward is expected to make some form of return to on-field training action from the turn of the year, and may return to competitive duties alongside his Manchester City teammates as soon as February 2025.
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