Manchester Metropolis supervisor Pep Guardiola has conceded that Jeremy Doku is prone to be lacking for “some time”, forward of massive upcoming video games within the Premier League and Champions League.
Doku had managed three targets and three assists throughout successive appearances towards Salford Metropolis and Ipswich City earlier this month. However he was absent by way of harm towards Paris Saint-Germain final week and was once more sidelined for Saturday’s comeback win over Chelsea.
There isn’t a definitive timeline on Doku’s restoration, however he will not play towards Membership Brugge this week and can in all probability additionally not function in subsequent Sunday’s journey to Arsenal.
“Some time. I do not understand how a lot, however some time, sure. He is not going to be prepared for Wednesday, for positive. I do not assume so for Arsenal [either]. We’ll see,” Guardiola defined.
Though Metropolis have the depth to cowl Doku’s absence, the squad continues to take care of accidents defensively. That led to new 20-year-old signing Abdukodir Khusanov being thrust straight into the beginning lineup towards Chelsea with minimal preparation and enduring a nightmare debut.
“The issue is we proceed with the issues. Khusanov mustn’t have performed; he needed to take time to do it,” the boss commented.
“It is not straightforward towards Chelsea within the Premier League, coming from one other nation and never speaking a lot along with his teammates and arriving with no coaching periods to see what you wish to do, what the method you’ve got, and the opposite ones.
“To begin in that approach he began; think about all of us residing what Khusanov has lived and what occurred occurred, it will be, ‘Oh God!’…however the scenario is Ruben [Dias] is just not there, Nathan [Ake] neither so we’re fortunate that Manu [Akanji] stayed and John [Stones] may also help us for our closing on Wednesday.”
Guardiola is labelling the Brugge recreation a “closing” as a result of Metropolis’s complete Champions League standing for the season is driving on one 90-minute match.
Profitable solely two of their first seven video games – and not one of the final 5 – has left Metropolis exterior the highest 24 forward of matchday eight. They have to beat Brugge, who’re three factors forward and combating to remain within the knockout berths themselves, and hope different outcomes additionally go of their favour to qualify.
At greatest, Metropolis can end nineteenth, which might imply two extra video games to play within the knockout spherical play-off. In the event that they fail to assert three factors towards Brugge, Metropolis could be out of the Champions League earlier than the knockout part for the primary time for the reason that 2012/13 marketing campaign.
READ THE LATEST MAN CITY NEWS, TRANSFER RUMOURS & GOSSIP
