Manchester City duo ruled out of Brentford clash as Pep Guardiola offers fitness update

Redaction Willow Austin with Freddie Pye
Published on 2024-02-19 13:16:34

Pep Guardiola will not have two members of his first-team squad available for the match against Brentford on Tuesday night. This situation is similar to the weekend scenario, indicating a relatively unchanged lineup. Manchester City had seemingly resolved their injury issues in January, with Jeremy Doku, Kevin De Bruyne, Erling Haaland, and John Stones all returning from their respective problems. However, the team now faces new challenges, with Jack Grealish sustaining an injury in the UEFA Champions League.

Grealish has struggled with fitness issues throughout the season, and his latest problem is a muscular injury that occurred in the first 25 minutes of a recent match in Copenhagen. Guardiola, speaking ahead of Manchester City’s latest Premier League encounter, confirmed that Grealish and Josko Gvardiol will not be ready for the upcoming match.

The rest of the squad, however, is fit and ready for the match against Brentford. This includes Bernardo Silva and John Stones, who were both available on the substitutes bench in the previous match. Although initial reports suggested Grealish could be out for up to three weeks, Guardiola has expressed hope that he could return within 10 days, potentially making him available for the match against Manchester United on March 3.

As for Gvardiol, the Croatian defender is dealing with an ankle ligament problem and may require an additional two weeks of recovery before returning to the Manchester City lineup. Despite these setbacks, Guardiola and his coaching staff will be working to manage the team’s fitness and availability for upcoming matches.

Overall, while Grealish and Gvardiol will be unavailable for the upcoming match, Guardiola remains hopeful that they will be back in action soon. The team will continue to adjust and make the necessary preparations to navigate their current injury challenges.

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