“Man City Hit with Injury Woes as Five Stars Miss Training Before Sporting Lisbon Clash”
“Five Key Players Absent from Man City Training Ahead of Crucial Champions League Showdown with Sporting Lisbon”
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola appears to be without five key players ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League clash with Sporting Lisbon.
City head to Portugal seeking a comeback after consecutive away losses to Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League and Bournemouth in the EFL Cup.
Guardiola has already highlighted that the Premier League champions were nearly at a squad minimum for their recent match against Bournemouth at Vitality Stadium.
On the upside, City are currently third in their Champions League group after three games, positioning them well for a top-eight finish.
However, Guardiola is still facing significant squad challenges as they prepare to meet Sporting, who have also earned seven points from their first three group matches.
Which Man City Players Missed Training? According to the Manchester Evening News, five players were missing from Monday morning’s training session.
Rodri and Oscar Bobb remain sidelined long-term due to a severe knee injury and a fractured leg, respectively.
John Stones, Ruben Dias, and Jack Grealish were also absent and are not expected to travel to Portugal. Guardiola had previously mentioned that Stones and Dias would likely be unavailable for the Sporting match, while Grealish is still recovering and may not return before the international break.
Positive Updates for City Kyle Walker unexpectedly played the full match against Bournemouth despite previous doubts due to a knee issue.
Kevin De Bruyne also made his return to the bench after a six-week absence, though Guardiola opted not to play him in the second half. Both players participated in Monday’s training, but Guardiola may be cautious about starting them.
With a two-week break coming after Saturday’s Premier League game against Brighton & Hove Albion, Guardiola might choose to rest them both for now.
