Manchester City suffer second injury absence ahead of Brighton clash | OneFootball

Manchester City’s injury list has worsened ahead of the Premier League clash against Brighton on Sunday afternoon, new reports have revealed.

The build-up to the weekend had already been dominated by fitness concerns within Pep Guardiola’s squad, with Rayan Cherki ruled out on the eve of the match through a thigh problem.

His setback was confirmed by French media ahead of the weekend and came as a major blow, given the 21-year-old’s growing importance following his summer arrival at the Etihad Stadium.

Now, in another frustrating development, Pep Guardiola faces the loss of one of his most trusted players in joining Cherki on the treatment table and subsequently missing the game, leaving Manchester City’s creative options significantly depleted.

The injury issues come at a crucial early stage of the campaign, as the Premier League giants look to immediately bounce back from defeat to Tottenham last weekend, which followed an exciting 0-4 opening weekend win over Wolves.

Now, according to the information of reliable Etihad Stadium source ‘FPLMaineRoad‘ on X, Phil Foden is not present with the Manchester City squad at the Amex Stadium this weekend due to an injury.

City have relied heavily on Foden in recent seasons, especially during periods when Kevin De Bruyne has been sidelined, and his absence will once again place added pressure on the midfield structure.

With matches coming thick and fast in both domestic and European competition, Guardiola’s squad depth is likely to be tested more than ever in the weeks ahead, and the club will be hoping that the upcoming international break gives Foden chance to recover sufficiently.

The news will undoubtedly worry City supporters, who have already seen their side affected by multiple fitness concerns in the early weeks of the season. Cherki’s setback means that Guardiola is now without two key attacking options, just as the club begins a challenging run of fixtures that will demand rotation and fresh legs.

In the absence of both Foden and Cherki, attention could now turn to Pep Guardiola’s younger talents including Oscar Bobb – back from a long-term injury of his own – representing one possible solution across multiple positions.

Equally, Guardiola could choose to lean on his more experienced lieutenants, potentially adapting Bernardo Silva into a more advanced role or calling upon the versatility of Matheus Nunes, or perhaps Ilkay Gundogan.

Regardless of the solution, the absence of two creative figures in the same week highlights the risks of Manchester City’s squad fragility, especially with an unforgiving fixture calendar on the horizon.

With Brighton expected to test City with their expansive style of play, the match could serve as an early glimpse into how Pep Guardiola manages without two of his most gifted playmakers.