Manchester City are the only remaining Premier League team with a perfect record since the start of the season, but still have three of their most important players out injured.
John Stones, Jack Grealish and Kevin De Bruyne are all key to Pep Guardiola’s strongest lineup, but are all currently sidelined. The centre-back is nearing a return, while Grealish could be back this weekend, but it’s a different story for the Belgian.
Here is all the latest news on Man City’s stricken players...
John Stones
The defender played the full match as City lost the Community Shield but is yet to feature for City in the Premier League due to a hip injury.
Pep Guardiola confirmed last month that Stones would not return until after this international break, and assistant manager Juanma Lillo confirmed in early September that the centre-back was on the right track.
He said: "[Stones] is more or less there, as well. We're fine, we're okay. It's not decisive."
Jack Grealish
The midfielder sat our City's win over Fulham before the international break with a thigh injury, and subsequently withdrew from the England squad.
Lillo said before the withdrawal from England duty: "It’s going to be difficult for Jack to make it, but I’m not a doctor and it will be difficult for me to explain."
City will be hopeful Grealish recovers with West Ham up next in the league.
Kevin De Bruyne
The influential midfielder lasted just 23 minutes of City’s season-opener against Burnley before suffering a serious hamstring injury.
It was the first minutes De Bruyne had played since being forced off in the Champions League final over two months earlier, and has since been sidelined until January at the earliest.
Guardiola said last month: “Kevin is a really, really important player. We haven’t lost him for one or two weeks, we’ve lost him for four or five months. He’s 32 years old, for the team he has to be very physical because his actions are so decisive.”
