MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) – Manchester City winger Savinho could be back for Saturday’s Premier League game at Bournemouth in a piece of good news for manager Pep Guardiola who is struggling with a slew of injuries that could threaten the champions’ title challenge.
Guardiola had said his team was “in trouble” after Savinho was taken off with an apparent ankle injury during their 2-1 League Cup loss at Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday.
That added to a growing list which includes captain Kyle Walker, Kevin De Bruyne, Jeremy Doku and Jack Grealish that Guardiola said had left him with only 13 players to pick from.
Brazilian Savinho picked up a “strong knock” but suffered “no fracture,” Guardiola told reporters on Friday.
“Tomorrow you will see (who is available), I have many doubts, half and half,” he said.
“It happens in many clubs and we’re not the only club in the world to be going through it. There are a lot (of injuries) in certain departments and positions but it is what it is.
“I’ve said to the players ‘don’t feel sorry for ourselves, our challenge is this’ and we will play with 11 players tomorrow. I will talk to players to see how they feel and the doctors. It is just day by day.”
City hold a one-point lead over Liverpool atop the Premier League after nine games, while Bournemouth are 11th. Guardiola’s team are also third in the Champions League standings.
Manuel Akanji pulled up in Wednesday’s warm-up with a calf injury while fellow defender Ruben Dias went off injured at halftime.
Guardiola reiterated what numerous players and managers have said across different leagues this season about the congested fixture schedule contributing to injuries.
“We know it (is too many games) but it is the reality,” he said. “We try to take care of them. We’ve not done anything differently to previous seasons. If anything we’ve trained less, but it happens and you have to adapt.”
City’s Champions League campaign continues on Tuesday when they take on Sporting — and soon-to-be Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim — in Lisbon.
Guardiola shook his head, when asked whether he will offer any advice to the 39-year-old Amorim, who will take over at Old Trafford on Nov. 11.
“Welcome to United, to England. I congratulate him next Tuesday,” he said. “I’m not the right person to give advice to colleagues. They have a lot of people at United who can give information about what is happening at United.”
(Reporting by Lori Ewing; Editing by Ken Ferris)
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