Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has confirmed that “half” of his first-team squad will be in doubt over the selection against Bournemouth on Saturday.
The Premier League champions will be hoping to maintain their unbeaten start to the top-flight campaign when they travel to the Vitality Stadium this weekend, and ensure their place as league leaders heading into the final gameweek before the international break.
A well-fought 1-0 win over division strugglers Southampton saw Manchester City move into top spot last time out after Arsenal and Liverpool played out a 2-2 draw at the Emirates Stadium, before Carabao Cup exit would follow via a 2-1 defeat at Tottenham in midweek.
While Manchester City fans and players will likely be unaffected by the exit from the first cup competition of the season, an ever-growing injury list made worse at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is a more pressing matter.
Manuel Akanji was a late withdrawal from the starting line-up and replaced by Ruben Dias after sustaining a groin issue in the pre-match warm-ups, before Savinho would exit the pitch on a stretcher in the second-half after picking up an ankle injury.
Josko Gvardiol would add to the concerns after the full-time whistle as he took on medical attention from Manchester City staff on the pitch, while Pep Guardiola would state after the match that Ruben Dias has been suffering from minor niggles in recent outings.
Speaking during his pre-match press conference ahead of the visit to Bournemouth this weekend, Pep Guardiola offered a complete update on the status of his squad, confirming that the picture remains unknown coming into the fixture and travelling to the south coast.
“Tomorrow you will know it. You will see it, the list,” said Guardiola. “I have many doubts, most of them, half-half… Tomorrow you will know it.”
Commenting on the challenge of facing an impressive Bournemouth side with a depleted squad, that have already inflicted defeat on Arsenal this season, Guardiola continued, “We know the situation. What can we do?! Try to recover as quick as possible and we’ll see.”
“We are using them because we are in an emergency in certain positions but some of them we trust them, like in the past,” Pep Guardiola said on the impact of the club’s Academy roster in situations like the present.
“They help us, that’s why the Academy is there… We don’t have other options, sometimes.”
Manchester City will travel to Bournemouth later on Friday afternoon ahead of the traditional 3PM kick-off slot on Saturday, with a departure from the city’s international airport scheduled shortly before 5PM this evening.
