Manchester City return to Premier League action on 23 November as they look to recover from four straight losses and gain some ground on Liverpool at the top of the table.
City’s results have received plenty of attention in recent weeks, but Pep Guardiola’s side have been severely depleted in defence at times as they try to form a new system after Rodri was ruled out for the season.
Players such as Kevin De Bruyne, Nathan Ake, Ruben Dias and Phil Foden have all missed a portion of the season so far, though City only find themselves five points behind Liverpool.
And Guardiola will be hoping to welcome back some important names as City look to claw back ground in the title race.
Foden did not make up part of the most recent England squad after his late withdrawal, with the reason being a knock he received in the 2-1 loss to Brighton. However, the knock is not thought to be too serious, and he should be fit to play a role against Spurs this weekend.
Possible return: Tottenham, Saturday 23 November
The young Belgian winger was another City player to withdraw from his national squad this month, though this was expected after he was forced to sit out the game against Brighton with a quad injury.
At the time, Guardiola said of Doku: “He has some muscular problems in his quadriceps. He doesn’t feel good, he cannot run at full speed. When we arrive [after the international break], we will make a test, and we’ll make a selection, and we’ll see how they feel.”
Possible return: Tottenham, Saturday 23 November
Akanji missed the latest international camp as well as the match against Brighton, the the nature of his issue remained a mystery, with Guardiola saying that the Swiss international said he “felt so bad in the training session and could not move properly”. There is no concrete timeline for bis return, though he could be fit to face Spurs.
Possible return: Tottenham, Saturday 23 November
John Stones
Stones has been another notable absence at the back for both England and City, with the former Everton man not featuring for the Cityzens since he completed 90 minutes in the loss to Spurs.
Earlier this month, Guardiola said that Stones “has a fasciitis splinter in the feet”, adding that he didn’t know the estimated time for the defender’s return.
Possible return: Tottenham, Saturday 23 November
Ruben Dias
Dias last played for City in their Carabao Cup loss at Spurs at the end of October, with his muscular issue later confirmed to be a calf injury. Guardiola did say that he expected the Portuguese back after the international break, but it remains to be seen if he’s made a full return to fitness.
Possible return: Tottenham, Saturday 23 November
Jack Grealish
The former Villa man was another player to withdraw from the latest England squad, with a little bit of controversy over his selection after the winger had missed six straight games for his club.
Guardiola was clearly irritated that Grealish was selected in the first place, mentioning in a press conference that the 29-year-old “didn’t train once” over the previous 17 days, though Lee Carsley disputed that assertion. Such comments from the Spaniard suggest that a return is not yet imminent.
Possible return: Unknown
Matheus Nunes
Nunes has become a regular starter for City in recent weeks, and though he hasn’t missed a game for his club side recently, he did withdraw from the Portugal squad. That may have been more a precautionary measure than due to an actual issue, though.
Possible return: Tottenham, Saturday 23 November
Nathan Ake
The Dutch defender has already missed seven games for his club this season, and has been benched for several more, with a two-month layoff caused by a hamstring injury. His return only lasted one match too, and he was on the bench for the loss at Brighton, with Guardiola saying that he was still not yet fully fit. The Spaniard may choose to ease him back into action in the Champions League rather than throw him in at the deep end against Spurs or Liverpool in the league.
Possible return: Feyenoord, Tuesday 26 November
Oscar Bobb
The Norwegian had been one of City best-performing players in the build-up to the new season before he suffered a fractured leg in training before the opening match of the league season at Chelsea. He was originally ruled out for around three to four months, with Guardiola saying in late October that he hoped Bobb would return in January or February of next year.
Possible return: Ipswich, Sunday 19 January
