Pep Guardiola has confirmed that a member of his Manchester City squad will return from injury soon.
Man City are set to face Napoli in their first Champions League match of the season on Thursday night, with the focus of the occasion being Kevin De Bruyne’s return to Manchester.
City will enter the contest with several injuries after it was confirmed during the international break that Rayan Ait-Nouri, Rayan Cherki and Omar Marmoush will spend some time on the sidelines due to fitness issues.
There are others in Guardiola’s squad unavailable for selection, and the Man City boss confirmed on Wednesday that one star will return to action “soon.”
Mateo Kovacic during Manchester United v Manchester City.
Photo by Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images
Mateo Kovacic to return from injury soon
Mateo Kovacic has not played for Man City since the end of last season after the Croatian star opted to have surgery on an Achilles injury over the summer.
That caused the midfielder, who Jack Grealish once described as “unbelievable”, to miss the FIFA Club World Cup and the start of the 2025/26 campaign, with the initial expectation being that the 31-year-old would return to action in October.
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Speaking to the press on Wednesday, Guardiola confirmed that Kovacic will be back in action soon, with the Croatia international being a big boost to the depth of the legendary coach’s squad.
The former Chelsea star had a big role to play at Man City last season, having featured in 42 matches, producing seven goals and three assists.
This will be a welcome boost for Guardiola, but it still does little to address the injury issue at the Manchester club.
Manchester City’s injury list
In addition to Kovacic, City have a total of seven stars out of action at present, with John Stones also confirmed to have a fitness issue during the international break.
That leaves Guardiola without four crucial players to select, while Kalvin Phillips and Marcus Bettinelli also have fitness concerns of their own.
Player Injury Expected Return
Mateo Kovacic Achilles 5th October
Omar Marmoush Knee 5th October
Rayan Cherki Thigh 1st November
Rayan Ait-Nouri Unknown 21st Septmeber
John Stones Unknown 18th September
Kalvin Phillips Heel Unknown
Marcus Bettinelli Unknown 18th September
Injuries are a big issue for Man City at present, with so many big games on the horizon. However, if they can get through it, it will give Guardiola’s squad a big boost of confidence for the remainder of the season.