Kovacic out for up to a month as Man City's midfield problems mount
Manchester City's Mateo Kovacic, right, defends the ball from Bournemouth's Antoine Semenyo during the English Premier League soccer match between Bournemouth and Manchester City at the Vitality stadium in Bournemouth, England, Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. Credit: AP/Kirsty Wigglesworth
Manchester City's midfield problems have mounted after Mateo Kovacic was ruled out for up to a month by manager Pep Guardiola because of an undisclosed injury.
Guardiola confirmed Kovacic returned from the international break injured. The midfielder was hurt playing for Croatia against Portugal in the Nations League, and was substituted at halftime.
“Will be a while,” Guardiola said. “Three weeks or a month.”
Kovacic's importance to City has grown with Rodri, the team's first-choice holding midfielder, having been ruled out for the rest of the season with an ACL injury. Ilkay Gundogan, who is 34, might have to drop back to play at the base of midfield.
Guardiola had better news about his defense, with center backs John Stones and Manuel Akanji returning to training and Nathan Ake also available.
“I don’t know if they’re ready to play 90 minutes, but to see their faces in the training session is really good,” Guardiola said.
City, the defending champion, has lost its last four games in all competitions and next plays Tottenham at home in the Premier League on Saturday.
Manchester City's Mateo Kovacic, left, and Sporting's Francisco Trincao fight for the ball during the UEFA Champions League opening phase match between Sporting and Manchester City in Lisbon, Portugal, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. Credit: AP/Armando Franca
City is second in the league, five points behind Liverpool.
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