Manchester City sustain major defensive injury blow with recovery timeframe revealed | OneFootball

Pep Guardiola and his Manchester City side has succumbed to yet another injury blow during the opening weeks of the brand new campaign.

The Premier League giants were already managing situations in squad depth when it came to defensive options, with John Stones continuing to navigate a building-up of his own fitness, and Manuel Akanji finalising a season-long loan move to Inter.

The latest setback somewhat compounds Pep Guardiola’s early challenges in the new season, particularly as the Catalan continues to integrate new and young stars into more senior responsibilities.

Abdukodir Khusanov, who has impressed when called upon since arriving at the Etihad Stadium in January, was withdrawn during the 2-1 defeat to Brighton at the Amex Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Guardiola addressed the substitution after the game, confirming that the 20-year-old had experienced muscular discomfort and was unable to continue, while his post-match comments offered reassurance that the injury was not considered severe.

But confirmation from the Uzbekistan Football Association has since issued a formal update, outlining the exact nature of the problem and confirming Abdukodir Khusanov’s unavailability for upcoming international duty.

A statement issued by the Uzbekistan FA this week confirmed, “Uzbekistan national team defender Abdukodir Khusanov felt unwell yesterday during Manchester City’s match against Brighton.”

The statement continued, “After tests, it was revealed that our player has a minor injury to his left calf muscle. According to preliminary findings, the recovery period is expected to be two weeks.

“It was announced that Khusanov will not be able to participate in the CAFA Nations Cup tournament, according to doctors’ recommendations.”

For Manchester City, the news will be viewed as a setback, but not one that threatens to derail their entire campaign. A two-week absence is largely seen as manageable, and Khusanov is likely to return in time for the first wave of Champions League fixtures.

It remains to be seen whether he will make it back in time for Manchester City’s return to competitive action immediately after the September international break, with Manchester United the visitors to the Etihad Stadium later this month in the Premier League.

Pep Guardiola will, however, need to carefully rotate his backline during this period, with John Stones and Rúben Dias likely to carry the central responsibilities. The manager may also lean further on younger options, as seen in the past with Rico Lewis’ progression.

City’s defensive options remain under close scrutiny on transfer deadline day, particularly with Ederson set to join Fenerbahce permanently and Manuel Akanji finalising a loan switch to Italian giants Inter.

Abdukodir Khusanov’s quick recovery from the aforementioned problem will therefore be essential in maintaining balance at the back as Manchester City look to recover momentum after their defeat on the south coast, and a 0-2 home loss to Tottenham the week prior.