Omar Marmoush celebrating his goal during the match between Egypt vs Ethiopia in the FIFA World Cup 2026 CAF Qualifiers - Group A at Cairo Stadium, Cairo, Egyptplaceholder image
Omar Marmoush celebrating his goal during the match between Egypt vs Ethiopia in the FIFA World Cup 2026 CAF Qualifiers - Group A at Cairo Stadium, Cairo, Egypt | Middle East Images/AFP via Getty
Manchester City host rivals Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday afternoon
The remaining Manchester City and Manchester United players are poised to return from international duty over the coming days as the two clubs prepare to meet at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
United have started the campaign with one loss, one draw and one win in the Premier League. Ruben Amorim’s side sit one point above City ahead of the Manchester derby. Pep Guardiola’s men opened their 2025-26 season with a dominant victory over Wolves but have lost their last two matches and now sit below the Red Devils in the table.
Amorim went unbeaten against Guardiola last season in three games against the Spaniard. When in charge of Sporting CP, the Portuguese club won 4-1 in the Champions League. For United, he oversaw a dramatic 2-1 win at the Etihad last December before the sides drew 0-0 in a drab affair at Old Trafford in early April.
Man City handed injury hammer blow ahead of Man Utd clash
Ahead of Sunday’s clash between the clubs, City have been handed a big injury concern with Omar Marmoush forced off during Egypt's 0-0 daw with Burkina Faso on Tuesday. The £59m January signing was visibly hurt after a fourth-minute challenge but played on intially after on-field treatment.
However, he was unable to continue and was withdrawn shortly afterwards.
The Egyptian Football Association said: "Omar Marmoush suffers a bruised knee ligament. The player will undergo an X-ray upon his arrival to Cairo [on] Wednesday morning."
City are set to assess Marmoush when he returns to Manchester this week. He has started the club’s last two games as they lost to Tottenham Hotspur and Brighton and Hove Albion. He came off the bench in the win over Wolves.
He has scored eight goals in 28 games since his January move to City. Elsewhere on Tuesday night, Erling Haaland bagged five goals for Norway in an 11-1 win over Moldova while Bernardo Silva scored for Portugal in a dramatic 3-2 victory in Hungary.
Pep Guardiola impressed by how Omar Marmoush settled into life at Man City
Speaking back in April after Marmoush started his City career in impressive fashion, Guardiola said: “The numbers are really good.
“He arrived in the middle of the season and in a moment when we are not good.
“Sometimes when you come when everything is fluid and everything is fine it’s easy to adapt.
“But coming when the team is not playing good, that is a big credit.”
He added: “When a team likes to get the ball, he makes runs and understands the intensity you have to play.”
Guardiola does have other options if Marmoush is not fit for the clash but with the former Eintracht Frankfurt man a regular start, Guardiola will hope he is fit after the medical teams make their assessments.
Continue Reading