City face midfield injury blow

Manchester City confront a thinning midfield as Kovacic faces a long layoff, amplifying early-season selection concerns.

Man City face midfield injury blow as Kovacic out until October

Manchester City’s midfield depth is stretched as Mateo Kovacic faces a potential return in October after Achilles surgery. He travelled with the squad to Palermo for a friendly but remains unavailable for the start of the campaign. Rodri is also not fully fit until after the first international break, following a groin issue that followed an ACL tear last season. January signing Nico Gonzalez is the only natural holding midfielder available in the opening weeks, with Ilkay Gundogan and Tijjani Reijnders able to fill deeper roles but typically operate further forward.

Pep Guardiola said the squad has three midfield options, but the injuries will force improvisation in the early fixtures. The manager highlighted a packed calendar after September, noting the challenge of maintaining form with a demanding schedule and a need to rotate players carefully to stay competitive on multiple fronts.

City’s latest injury concerns expose how quickly depth can become a season-long problem. The club has a short-term plan centered on a few senior players, which increases the risk of fatigue and spat injuries if the calendar bites hard. It also raises questions about how City will balance rest, training, and minutes for a squad that already leaned on a core group last season. In the bigger picture, this episode underscores Guardiola’s ongoing challenge of aligning a high-intensity style with continuous availability.

Highlights

The season will ask City to convert depth into reliability as much as talent.