Joao Cancelo has revealed how his family were "terrorised" during a robbery at their home just after Christmas.
The Portugal international suffered a head wound after standing up to four intruders on December 30 but still played for City at Arsenal two days later.
Cancelo has continued to excel for the Blues, and signed a two-year contract extension until 2027 a year after the incident. He will be a key player as they travel back to his native Portugal to face Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League last 16 tomorrow night.
The player posted a reaction to that incident on social media in the aftermath, saying: “Unfortunately today I was assaulted by four cowards who hurt me and tried to hurt my family.
“When you show resistance this is what happens. I don’t know how there are people with such meanness. The most important thing for me is my family and luckily they are all OK.
"After so many obstacles in my life this is just one more that I will overcome. Firm and strong, like always.”
Cancelo was asked about the incident ahead of the Sporting game and said it was his family who has been hardest hit.
Cancelo has suffered trauma before, as his mother was killed in a car crash that left him and his brother with minor injuries, in 2013, and he said his strength of character had allowed him to deal with that and the horrific robbery.
"That's life, it happens," he said. "It was horrific, it terrorised my whole family. I know how to deal with it but my family didn't deserve to go through that. I lost my mother but had to continue.
"There have been lots of obstacles in my life and I have to get over them, I'm a stronger player mentally and that's how I want to go on.
"I could drop my head, but I always like to think positively and that is how I can live my life in the best way possible."
