Nico O’Reilly and Bukayo Saka have fitness concerns (Image: Getty)
It’s the one everyone has been waiting for… Manchester City vs Arsenal, with the Premier League title at stake. A win for the Gunners will leave them with one hand on the trophy, while a defeat drags City right back into the picture.
A draw and it’s anybody’s guess. But the anticipation builds ahead of the (potential) title decider, attention is firmly fixed on who may or may not make the starting line-ups. Express Sport have rounded up the latest injury updates ahead of City vs Arsenal, as well as other big talking points from across the league.
Man City injury news: O’Reilly, Dias, Gvardiol
One of the major injury concerns heading into the weekend surrounded Nico O’Reilly’s fitness, with the youngster having been subbed off during last weekend’s win over Chelsea. However, Pep Guardiola insisted O’Reilly is “fine” ahead of the contest and is expected to – at a bare minimum – be in the squad come Sunday.
The same cannot be said for Ruben Dias, who continues to suffer from an ankle problem and will likely miss the remainder of the month. He joins fellow defender Josko Gvardiol in the treatment room, with Marc Guehi and Abdukodir Khusanov the likely centre-back duo.
Arsenal injury news: Saka, Madueke, Timber, Calafiori
The league leaders could also be without several of their key men, most notably Bukayo Saka. The winger has already been ruled out by Arteta, who said: “Bukayo is out, that’s for sure. He’s just starting to do some stuff, so let’s see that progression, how quickly we can go through it, and then wait.
Meanwhile, things are more positive for Noni Madueke, with Arteta saying: “He didn’t look that bad after the game, and he was quite positive. He’s a player who pushes through pain.”
Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori have also suffered with injuries of late, as has skipper Martin Odegaard. On the trio, Arteta remarked: “We will try again. Some players are quite close, but the turnaround is short, so we will try tomorrow to push everybody, and if they are in good condition, they will be part of us, and if not, they won’t. They haven’t been in the last few weeks, unfortunately.”
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Martin Odegaard and Noni Madueke are also doubts (Image: Getty)
Reece James’ career has been littered with injuries, and the full-back is currently sidelined once more. Thomas Tuchel will have his heart in his mouth, given the proximity to England’s World Cup campaign.
He is believed to be nearing a return, with Liam Rosenior saying earlier this week: “Reece has been running today, which is great.” Saturday’s clash against Manchester United at Stamford Bridge might’ve come a touch too soon though.
And finally, it will be some time before we see Hugo Ekitike in action again. The Frenchman picked up an Achilles injury in mid-week, with the expectation that he’ll be out for up to nine months.
Arne Slot explained: “He hasn’t been operated on yet. Devastating for him coming to a new club having so much impact straight away.” Alexander Isak is available for selection, but Slot once again insisted the Swede won’t be able to complete a full 90 minutes.
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