Manchester City travel to Newcastle United following an upset defeat against Fulham and Carabao Cup postponement against Wimbledon. Pep Guardiola can count on Rodri’s return, but Nathan Ake (muscle), Oscar Bobb (leg fracture) and Kevin de Bruyne remain out.
Harvey Barnes could keep his left-wing position after scoring in three consecutive matches, while Alexander Isak will likely start up front, as part of the Newcastle United F.C. vs Man City lineups.
Rodri (ACL) Injury
Manchester City suffered a significant blow with Rodri’s injury after their draw with Arsenal last week, when their lead at the top was reduced by one point. He was taken off shortly before half time due to colliding with Thomas Partey and is likely to miss the rest of this season; Pep Guardiola will find his absence deeply troubling; Rodri has started 48 Premier League games since joining City in 2019 without losing one single one; in fact he has even been nominated as a 2024 Ballon d’Or nominee among among top defensive midfielders worldwide!
Rodri was an integral player in City’s 2-2 draw with Arsenal and his absence may prove detrimental to their title bid. Newcastle made life difficult for Arsenal while creating some decent chances themselves but must improve further to take anything from their trip to Etihad Stadium.
Newcastle haven’t scored in 21 home matches and their hopes of breaking into the top four will rely heavily on whether or not they can break that run. That being said, Newcastle have some attacking options at their disposal that can give them an advantage against City – which should send shockwaves through the league if they win against City.
Newcastle will hope that Swedish striker Alexander Isak recovers from a toe injury to start against City, while experienced forward Callum Wilson remains out. Sandro Tonali, Fabian Schar and Joelinton may need to step in if Isak cannot play due to 4-3-3 formation by Newcastle against City.
Mateo Kovacic (Concussion) Injury
Kovacic joined City this summer to give them a ball-winning midfielder who could also provide forward movement. While he certainly succeeded, however, his contribution may come at a cost: after being challenged by Leeds United defender Dan James on Saturday he suffered concussion which could keep him out for up to one month – an immense blow given they have not been able to replace players such as Riyad Mahrez or Ilkay Gundogan yet.
Manchester City have experienced numerous issues this season, starting with Kevin De Bruyne missing three months due to an ankle injury and Bernardo Silva and John Stones failing to win the UEFA Super Cup victory – two players that helped them capture five trophies last term. Now Kovacic has joined them and added yet another blow.
Pep Guardiola boasts more than just talent at his disposal. Jeremy Doku, Phil Foden and Jack Grealish have all returned to training after withdrawing from national teams during the international break and should be available for selection.
Howe will have his work cut out for him as he adapts his Newcastle team without Tino Livramento and Anthony Gordon – who are expected to miss time due to calf injuries; Gordon won’t feature due to recovering from hamstring pain; this means Howe may need to change up his formation with just four defensive players playing centrally in order to maintain control of the match.
Fabian Schar, Jamaal Lascelles and Dan Burn will likely form the back three, with Lewis Hall providing energy and composure from left back position. Sandro Tonali should bring calmness and creativity in midfield while Bruno Guimaraes will add strength and physicality. Alexander Isak may take charge as Newcastle look to lead their attack through central control; making this matchup excitingly intense between two sides with vastly differing objectives who nonetheless hope to win!
Jeremy Doku (Thigh) Injury
Jeremy Doku has also suffered an injury setback at Manchester City this week. After experiencing a thigh issue during training, Doku has been ruled out of playing against Newcastle and could spend much of this season sidelined. Doku had been hoping to compete against Jack Grealish for a spot in Pep Guardiola’s front three but is likely to spend considerable time out due to this setback.
Doku joined City from Stade Rennais for a large fee last summer and was eager to make an impression upon arrival at his new club. However, he has struggled to break into the first team this year, being dropped from matchday squads for recent matches against Brighton and Feyenoord due to injuries in training. Additionally, Doku withdrew from Belgium’s November international fixtures after suffering an injury in training – it seems unlikely he will return before next weekend.
Oscar Bobb has also suffered with injuries this season, and will likely remain out for an extended period of time. After making an impressive debut for Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium, leg issues in pre-season prevented him from capitalising on his early promise.
Manchester City are currently experiencing issues at the back, with John Stones and Kyle Walker both being out injured this season. Walker picked up an injury while on international duty with England, and it remains to be seen if he will be fit enough to face Newcastle United this weekend.
Newcastle United currently have an assortment of long-term injury issues; Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles remain unavailable, while Emil Krafth and Callum Wilson remain ineligible for selection. Joe Willock may also miss out due to thigh concerns; this would leave two key members out.
City could welcome back Josko Gvardiol and Manuel Akanji for the trip to St James’ Park, while Mateo Kovacic and Bernardo Silva should feature. Goalkeeper Ederson will be closely monitored due to an ankle injury; as a backup goalkeeper such as Fabian Delph or Martin Dubravka may take his place if necessary.
Erling Braut Haaland (Concussion) Injury
Manchester City are missing four key players for their clash with Newcastle, but Pep Guardiola remains confident they can still field an effective team. Rodri and Oscar Bobb will not feature while Kevin de Bruyne is doubtful; however, with Sergio Aguero back as their talisman Sergio Aguero still makes them strong favorites to win the matchup.
City fans have been left reeling following new footage showing Norwegian striker Erling Haaland appearing to sustain an injury during training drill. Although Haaland got back up quickly after falling over, his brief moment of discomfort has caused cause concern among City fans and could prove disastrous for their reigning Premier League title hopes.
Haaland, 23, has scored 13 Premier League goals this season to move ahead of Mo Salah by three goals in the standings. However, Haaland offers much more than simply goals; his movement and ability to draw defenders out of position help City create numerous chances with every pass from Haaland. City made a PS51 million investment when signing Haaland from Borussia Dortmund last summer; now they’ve seen what their investment yielded them in return.
Guardiola confirmed Haaland will undergo medical assessments over the coming days, though it seems unlikely he will be fit for City’s trip to St James’ Park this weekend. Losing Haaland would be a significant blow as they look to close in on Liverpool and put some distance between themselves and those below them.
Newcastle are likely to be missing several key players for this matchup with Manchester City at St James’ Park, including centre-backs Jamaal Lascelles and Sven Bottman as well as forward Alexander Isak, while midfielder Callum Wilson may miss out due to injury; striker Adam Armstrong could also miss out due to being out through suspension. Eddie Howe will hope for an impressive showing against an unbeaten Manchester City side at St James’ Park.
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