Pep Guardiola will have to deal with Jeremy Doku’s injury. Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images
With five games in the next 14 days, the last thing Pep Guardiola needed was an injury to a key player, but Jeremy Doku needs to be sidelined for a while.
The winger has been said to give defenders nightmares (Squawka), and with two goals and two assists already this season (transfer market), it’s easy to see why.
A hard blow for Man City when Guardiola loses Jeremy Doku to injury
Jack Grealish hasn’t really been at the races this season, yet back to Aston Villa has been disputed as a result.
with Guardiola said Doku was “exceptional”. it is clear what a blow it will be to lose the wide man.
“He was injured against Wolves,” Guardiola noted in his pre-match press conference for the match against Southampton.
He is not believed to be ready before the next international break, meaning Doku will miss the Premier League game against Saints, as well as the English top flight games against Bournemouth and Brighton and Hove Albion.
The Carabao Cup last 16 tie at Tottenham and the fourth game of this Champions League campaign against Sporting will also come too soon for the Belgian.
All of those games fall within a 14-day period, and Guardiola will surely be hoping that no more of his senior stars fall short in what is becoming an ongoing theme for top clubs.
Unsurprisingly, Rodri, another City injury victim, was tight-lipped when discussing the possibility of a players’ strike (Sky Sports).
Guardiola has the luxury of having one of the deepest squads available in the Premier League, of course, and if, as expected, Grealish is looked to for the invention and delivery of chances, now is the time for him to to take a step again for his coach and teammates.
