Manchester City have seemingly been handed a triple injury boost ahead of Sunday’s showdown with Premier League title rivals Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium.
The Citizens have recently been sweating over the fitness of defender Kyle Walker, who was forced off with a hamstring injury in the first half of England’s 1-0 friendly defeat to Brazil at Wembley Stadium last weekend.
Walker has since withdrawn from the Three Lions squad, but it is understood that Man City are hopeful that the 33-year-old will make a speedy recovery in time for their encounter with Premier League leaders Arsenal.
A recent report claimed that Walker is suffering with a tight hamstring rather than a strain, and the defender’s progress will be monitored over the coming days.
Positive news regarding Walker’s fitness comes at a time when both Kevin De Bruyne and Jack Grealish have been spotted in Man City training on Tuesday.
Grealish, who was left out of the England squad, was sidelined for three matches with a groin injury before watching on as an unused substitute in Man City’s 2-0 win over Newcastle United in the FA Cup quarter-finals on March 16.
Meanwhile, De Bruyne, who was sidelined for over five months with a torn hamstring earlier this season, was omitted from the Belgium squad earlier this month after their head coach Domenico Tedesco revealed that the playmaker was nursing a groin problem.
However, Man City have since released an image on their website of both Grealish and De Bruyne ‘taking time out of their training routines’ to meet players from the Women’s team at the City Football Academy.
While the expected return of Walker, De Bruyne and Grealish will be welcomed by manager Pep Guardiola, a fresh injury concern has since emerged, as Manuel Akanji has been forced to withdraw from the Switzerland squad.
According to Swiss boss Murat Yakin, Akanji picked up a knock in their 0-0 friendly draw with Denmark last weekend and will not be involved in Tuesday’s clash against the Republic of Ireland.
The severity of Akanji’s issue remains unknown, but Man City will hope that the versatile defender can recover in time to feature against Arsenal on Sunday.
Meanwhile, first-choice goalkeeper Ederson will be assessed ahead of kickoff after he sustained a muscle injury during City’s 1-1 draw with Liverpool before the international break.
Manchester City’s Ederson with manager Pep Guardiola after being substituted after sustaining an injury on March 10, 2024
Earlier this month, reports suggested that the Brazilian would be sidelined for up to four weeks, making him a doubt for the clash with Arsenal.
Guardiola will hope to have as many of his senior stars fit and available for selection as he prepares his Citizens side for a hectic fixture schedule during an important stage of the season, with the club still competing to win an unprecedented double-treble.
Following Sunday’s encounter with Arsenal, Man City are scheduled to play eight games in the month of April, including four across a 10-day period, with a Champions League quarter-final first leg against Real Madrid sandwiched between Premier League games versus Aston Villa, Crystal Palace and Luton Town.
Man City currently sit third in the Premier League table heading into the final 10 top-flight fixtures of the season, just one point behind second-placed Liverpool and leader Arsenal.
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