Manchester City will be without Omar Marmoush for the upcoming Manchester derby. The forward sustained a knee injury while on international duty with Egypt. The 26-year-old limped off just nine minutes into his side’s World Cup qualifier against Burkina Faso in Ouagadougou.
The injury occurred as the result of a robust challenge early in the match. Initially, Marmoush attempted to play on. However, he had to be replaced shortly afterwards by Osama Faisal. Photographs later showed him with a brace on his right knee and using crutches.
According to City’s official statement, “Initial results on a scan performed in Egypt indicate he will not be available for the Manchester derby on Sunday, and he will now return to Manchester for more assessment and to begin his rehabilitation. Everyone at City wishes Omar a speedy recovery.”
The setback comes at a challenging time for Pep Guardiola. The coach is already facing limited options in attack. Rayan Cherki is sidelined with a hamstring issue, while Phil Foden missed the recent defeat to Brighton with fitness concerns.
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Mateo Kovacic, John Stones, and Savinho have also been unavailable in recent weeks. This leaves Guardiola with a stretched squad ahead of crucial fixtures. Marmoush joined City from Eintracht Frankfurt in a £59 million transfer earlier this year.
He has quickly become an important figure, scoring eight goals in 28 appearances across competitions. He started Man City’s last two matches where they lost against Tottenham Hotspur and Brighton. It left the reigning champions under early pressure in the Premier League table.
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The Egyptian forward had been expected to play a key role in Sunday’s clash with Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium. The fixture will be followed closely by City’s Champions League opener against Napoli and then another Premier League trip to Arsenal.
Hence, depending on Marmoush’s recovery, he could miss all these important fixtures for the Cityzens. As things stand, City are awaiting further medical evaluation in Manchester to determine the full extent of Marmoush’s injury and how long he might be sidelined.
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