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Man City guaranteed to be without six stars vs Crystal Palace as Pep Guardiola gives injury…

Nathan Ake of Manchester City requires medical attention after becoming injured during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Nottingham Forest

Nathan Ake will not feature for Manchester City against Crystal Palace

Pep Guardiola will not be able to call on Nathan Ake or Phil Foden for Manchester City's trip to Crystal Palace.

Foden missed Wednesday's game with bronchitis as his illness struggles continue this season. The 24-year-old has struggled for rhythm and fitness to be able to replicate his level from last season, and while Guardiola had hoped that this latest absence would not prove too long it will still keep him out for Saturday's game.

Ake went down towards the end of City's 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest with a hamstring problem to take the shine off their first win in any competition for eight matches. Guardiola was downbeat after the game expecting a serious injury, and while he did not confirm the severity of the problem on Friday he did confirm that Ake will not make the squad for Selhurst Park.

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One player that does have a chance of featuring against Crystal Palace is Manu Akanji. The Swiss defender came off at half-time against Forest with his manager admitting afterwards that he had struggled for nearly two months with fitness issues but wanted to play to help the team.

City will run checks on Akanji before ruling him out of Saturday's game at Palace, meaning he does have a chance of featuring. If not, it will leave the Blues with just Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol - who has played almost all of his games on the left for City - as recognised senior centre-backs at Palace. City remain without John Stones, Rodri, Oscar Bobb and Mateo Kovacic.

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