Man City handed major injury boost

Man City handed major injury boost

Pep Guardiola has given a positive injury update on Jack Grealish, Kevin De Bruyne and the rest of his Manchester City squad.

BOURNEMOUTH, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 24: Pep Guardiola manager of Manchester City with Kevin De Bruyne during the Premier League match between AFC Bournemouth and Manchester City at Vitality Stadium on February 24, 2024 in Bournemouth, England. (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images)

Manchester City could soon have a fully fit squad for the first time this season with Jack Grealish ready to play and Josko Gvardiol nearing a return.

 

Grealish was back in the City squad at Bournemouth two weeks ahead of schedule following his muscle injury at Copenhagen last week. Kevin De Bruyne came off the bench at the Vitality Stadium days after Pep Guardiola confirmed he was unused against Brentford because of a hamstring niggle.

 

Guardiola explained before the game that both players were ready to play and confirmed post-match that De Bruyne and Grealish are available to feature against Luton, Manchester United and FC Copenhagen in the upcoming fixtures.

 

“Everyone is so important,” Guardiola said. “Kevin had a few minutes and Jack is well so in the next games we’re going to use them.

 

Defender Ruben Dias also spoke of the importance of the pair returning, as well as defender Gvardiol who is expected to return in a week or so.

 

“They’re crucial for us, same as Josko [Gvardiol] will be,” he said. “He’ll be back as well. All available is what we want, it is how we are stronger and obviously in these crucial moments it’s the best way.”

 

City are yet to have a fully fit squad for a game this season, coming closest at Brentford earlier this month when Sergio Gomez was the only injured player. As well as the injury absentees, Guardiola also discussed the fitness of John Stones, who is still managing his fitness after persistent injury problems this season.

 

“He’s still not top but Manu [Akanji] and him are back,” said the manager. ” John had a lot of setbacks this season and he’s not like Phil [Foden] for example where they need two training sessions to be fit and ready. It’s more difficult for them but he’s back and he played really good.

 

 

Stones was deployed in his hybrid defender-midfielder role at Bournemouth and enjoyed space to roam free in the opposition half to help the attack.

 

“We needed players today that don’t have one touch, every player needed a lot of touches because when you play one touch against man-to-man it is what they want,” explained Guardiola. “We need Bernardo [Silva] and Phil and John and Rodri who have the ability to keep the ball. Manu and Nathan [Ake]. Everyone has two to three touches and that’s what we needed today.

 

“Every year is tough but I love it. We accept the challenge because I know what teams Liverpool and Arsenal are. Try to recover the quality of some players who have been injured and step by step as much we are there and can arrive in the last games being there anything can happen with these players because no matter what competition they always perform.”