Manchester City boss gives injury update ahead of Champions League opener..

Prior to Manchester City’s Champions League debut, Pep Guardiola provides an injury report on the three.

Three Manchester City players, according to Pep Guardiola, are extremely close to recovering from injuries, but they are not yet ready for their team’s Champions League opener.

Tuesday night’s match between City and Serbian team Red Star Belgrade at the Etihad marks the start of City’s defense of their European championship.

 

Following their triple victory, the Citizens are favorites to win consecutive Champions League championships, a feat that has only been done once before by Real Madrid.

Guardiola will also be attempting to win the competition four times, joining Carlo Ancelotti as the only other manager to accomplish this feat. However, he is starting this season without a number of important players.

Due to the thigh injury he got in the Premier League opening night victory against Burnley, captain Kevin De Bruyne is still out for an extended period of time.

The trio of John Stones, Mateo Kovacic, and Jack Grealish, though, had been expected to return in time for the Red Star game.

The English pair, who were crucial to the triple victory, have been recovering from thigh problems, while summer signing Kovacic has been out due to a back problem.

The three will not be available on Tuesday, but Guardiola said in his pre-game news conference that they may play the next game at home against Nottingham Forest.

They are improving now, not in the future. We need it, hopefully in Nottingham in the upcoming games, the manager remarked on Monday.

“We proved ourselves without them, but we need the competition, so we’re hoping they come back soon.” We require Jack to battle with Jeremy Doku for the desire to perform well enough to make the team.

‘Tough to stay here for a long period. It occurs, and we accept it.

the signing of Since Grealish’s injury, Doku has taken Grealish’s spot in the starting lineup. Doku looked quite excellent in last Saturday’s 3-1 victory over West Ham, with the Belgian winger scoring the equalizer.

“There is a chance when you are the wingers against the fullbacks and dribble.” When asked where the 21-year-old has impressed, Guardiola remarked, “Support for a winger to dribble to the byline is a chance.”