Man City in crisis as 11 players could miss Man Utd game through injury

Manchester City faces the prospect of fielding a severely depleted squad for Sunday's Premier League game against Manchester United, with up to 11 first-team players potentially unavailable.

City was already grappling with fitness concerns across its squad before the international break, with several players subsequently withdrawing from national team duty. Omar Marmoush was among those who did join up with their countries, but the forward has now sustained a knee injury during Egypt's goalless stalemate with Burkina Faso on Tuesday and is facing a period on the treatment table.

The outlook appears more positive for many of the other sidelined players, though Pep Guardiola will provide a comprehensive update when he meets with journalists on Friday. Here's the latest on City's injury situation...

Omar Marmoush (knee)

Marmoush picked up the problem just four minutes into Egypt's scoreless encounter with Burkina Faso on Tuesday. Despite attempting to continue, he was substituted five minutes later.

The forward returned to Cairo on crutches and underwent scanning in Egypt to determine the severity of the damage. City have now confirmed the 26-year-old will be absent for the derby clash.

A City statement said: "Manchester City FC can confirm that Omar Marmoush has sustained a knee injury whilst on international duty with Egypt. The City striker suffered the injury in the early stages of Egypt's World Cup qualifying match with Burkina Faso on Tuesday evening.

"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."

Potential return date: Unknown

John Stones (muscle)

The 31-year-old has featured in all three City matches this campaign and completed the entire 90 minutes against Brighton before linking up with England. However, Three Lions manager Thomas Tuchel revealed he was unwilling to gamble with the centre-half during World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Serbia.

"Unfortunately, John Stones [has] just left," Tuchel said on Friday. "He came with minor muscle issues to camp and didn't progress the way we thought and hoped he would so he left camp this morning because we will not take the risk against Andorra and also unfortunately against Serbia."

A City statement confirmed Stones had withdrawn from the squad as a "precautionary measure" though it remains unclear whether he will be available to face United.

Potential return date: September 14

Abdukodir Khusanov (calf)

Khusanov is battling to be ready for the derby after withdrawing from the Uzbekistan squad with a calf problem sustained during City's victory at Brighton. The 21-year-old was substituted due to injury near the conclusion of the Blues' loss on the south coast, with subsequent examinations confirming he has sustained a minor knock expected to sideline him for a fortnight.

A statement from the Uzbekistan FA said: "Uzbekistan national team defender Abdukodir Khusanov felt unwell yesterday during Manchester City's match against Brighton. After tests, it was revealed that our player has a minor injury to his left calf muscle.

"According to preliminary findings, the recovery period is expected to be two weeks. It was announced that Khusanov will not be able to participate in the CAFA Nations Cup tournament, according to doctors' recommendations."

Potential return date: September 14

Rico Lewis (unknown)

The full-back withdrew from the England U21 squad due to an undisclosed knock. City confirmed Lewis will undergo assessment at the CFA before the derby clash.

Potential return date: September 14

Rayan Cherki (thigh)

The France international faces two months on the treatment table following a thigh problem. Cherki could miss up to 10 fixtures, having already sat out the Brighton defeat.

Potential return date: October 26

Rayan Ait-Nouri (ankle)

Ait-Nouri picked up an ankle problem during the opening stages of his home bow against Tottenham. The summer arrival from Wolves featured against Brighton but was unavailable for Algeria's World Cup qualifiers versus Botswana and Guinea.

Potential return date: September 14

Phil Foden (fitness)

The midfielder was absent from the Brighton match due to injury. He also missed the final summer friendly due to an ankle injury, which resulted in him being left out of the squad for the Premier League opener at Wolves.

He made a brief appearance off the bench against Tottenham at home, but was ruled out of the Brighton game as he was not fully fit. The 25-year-old was not included in the England squad for the upcoming September matches and is now working hard to regain his fitness and form.

Potential return date: September 14

Nico O'Reilly (unknown)

The midfielder pulled out of the England U21 squad due to an undisclosed injury. City have stated that the academy graduate will be assessed at the CFA ahead of the derby.

Potential return date: September 14

Savinho (unknown)

Savinho has been missing all season due to an unspecified issue. Tottenham showed interest in signing the Brazilian, who seemed open to the move, but City has now shut down any potential exit and anticipates the player's return after the international break.

Potential return date: September 14

Josko Gvardiol (unknown)

Gvardiol has yet to feature in a matchday squad this season. The Croatian has resumed light training but has not yet been declared fit enough to play.

Potential return date: September 14

Mateo Kovacic (Achilles)

The midfielder may be sidelined until October due to an Achilles injury that required surgery over the summer. Kovacic underwent surgery shortly after the season ended, missing the Club World Cup and the rest of pre-season in the hope of being fit for the start of the new campaign. However, he is now expected to be out of action until at least the October international break.

Potential return date: October 18