Manchester City will be missing Kyle Walker and John Stones for their upcoming important Premier League match against Arsenal.
Both players got injured while playing for the England national team. Walker hurt his hamstring during the game against Brazil, while Stones had to leave the match against Belgium early due to a leg muscle injury.
Stones was one of the few players who played the full game against Brazil and was chosen by England manager Gareth Southgate to play again against Belgium.
When asked about Southgate’s decision to play Stones twice, City manager Pep Guardiola commented: “I haven’t got any comments about that.”
The England manager defended his choice to have Stones play in consecutive games, even though the matches were not competitive.
He said: “We measure everything, and the first game for him wasn’t a game that was a high level in terms of the intensity.”
Guardiola has stated that Walker’s injury is more severe than Stones’, but he is unsure how many games the full-back will miss.
On a positive note, Ederson is recovering well and may be able to play against their title rivals at the Etihad Stadium.
The Brazilian goalkeeper sustained an injury during City’s match against Liverpool earlier this month.
Additionally, defender Manuel Akanji, who was also a concern due to injury, is now fit to play.
As the Premier League season nears its end, defending champions City are currently in third place, just one point behind Liverpool and Arsenal.
Arsenal is currently at the top of the table based on goal difference.