Pep Guardiola issues Nathan Ake injury update after Man City injury scare

Pep Guardiola has eased injury fears over Nathan Ake after he limped out of Man City’s 2-1 over Bayern Munich.

The Dutch defender kept his place in defence for City’s second summer friendly in Tokyo, but was substituted in the first half after going down off the ball and holding the bottom of his leg.

Ake was able to continue while City readied a substitute, and walked off unaided as Manu Akanji replaced him. He was later seen walking around and mingling with teammates, further easing any fears of a longer-lasting injury.

Speaking after the game, Guardiola confirmed that Ake’s substitution was precautionary given his injury history, with City not risking his fitness unnecessarily during a friendly.

“He felt tired and Nathan, with his history it is better not to take a risk,” Guardiola said, later confirming in another answer that City have ‘no injuries’ as they look ahead to next week’s Community Shield clash with Arsenal.

“The group is good, no injuries. I wouldn’t say we are far away but we are a way from our best conditions to be in top, top form. But that is normal. We rely on the mentality and principles that we have, we have one week in Manchester to train specifically for that final and prepare a little bit better than we can train here.

“It is what it is and what it has been in previous seasons, we always play the Community Shield not in a good condition. It is what it is, we are happy to play because we won the Premier League. We lost the last years, hopefully this season we can win.”

Guardiola was also asked if tiring pre-season tours in extreme heat was sustainable, with James McAtee noting that the 40-degree conditions in Tokyo made the game more difficult than expected.

The manager replied: “Listen, when I was younger I was grumpy all the time – I cannot train, I cannot do this. Now I am getting older and I learn you have to adjust better. it is what it is, survive the heat, take good rhythm from the good games you play and go back to Manchester.

“If you cannot train because it is 50 degrees and humid, you don’t train and nothing will happen. it doesn’t matter. These guys play 60 games a season. Today managers at this level don’t have to have training, just be here because the club needs to do that for commercial issues and we have to do it. If people say go there, we go with a big smile, try to do good training sessions and not to get injuries, and come back.”