Manchester Metropolis supervisor Pep Guardiola has confirmed each Jack Grealish and Jeremy Doku are set for a spell on the sidelines.
Neither Grealish nor Doku have been a part of Metropolis’s squad for his or her 5-0 victory over Sparta Prague within the Champions League on Wednesday, together with absentees Kevin De Bruyne and Kyle Walker.
After the match, Guardiola defined that each are scuffling with accidents, and he was not sure precisely when they are going to be accessible once more.
“Hopefully Jack shall be possibly one week, 10 days, Jeremy a bit of longer,” Guardiola instructed a press convention.
Alongside long-term injured gamers Rodri and Oscar Bobb, this provides Metropolis but extra unwelcome information.
On a extra constructive be aware, whereas Guardiola was delighted with striker Erling Haaland after his targets in midweek, he was additionally filled with reward for winger Savinho, who received the help for the Norwegian’s first purpose.
“He’s enjoying actually good, he’s a winger who can play on either side… being simply three months with us, his degree is actually, actually, actually excessive,” Guardiola stated.
“I wish to say one thing; it’s because of the work of Míchel at Girona – he has executed it.”
0 – For the primary time within the historical past of the English top-flight, as many as 4 completely different groups have gone eight video games right into a season with out successful a match (Wolves, Southampton, Ipswich & Crystal Palace). Quagmire. pic.twitter.com/2E7QYbc73v
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) October 22, 2024
Beneath strain Southampton supervisor Russell Martin, in the meantime, has the unenviable activity of taking his out-of-form staff away to the champions.
The Saints have been overwhelmed 3-2 at dwelling by Leicester Metropolis final weekend, having initially gone two targets up, and Martin appealed to the followers to maintain supporting the staff.
“The followers have been sensible since I’ve been right here,” he instructed BBC Sport.
“I’m unsure the boos have been directed at their staff as a result of the staff have been giving all the things. My message is to be actually supportive, they’ve been nice.”
Given Southampton’s gradual begin to the season, there have been questions on whether or not Martin is the best man to maintain the membership within the Premier League, although the supervisor himself wouldn’t be drawn on such hypothesis.
“I’ve nothing to say other than that I have to preserve working, and we have to win a recreation of soccer,” he stated.
“I hope they [the fans] will all the time flip up and assist their staff. They’ve been superb.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Manchester Metropolis – Erling Haaland
Amongst gamers to play over 500 minutes towards promoted groups, Haaland has the second-best minutes-per-goal ratio (one each 60 minutes – 13 targets in 780 minutes) in Premier League historical past.
He’s at the moment on a three-game purpose drought within the league, which is simply the second time this has occurred, although he did rating two towards Sparta Prague within the Champions League on Wednesday.
Southampton – Tyler Dibling
Tyler Dibling has scored one league purpose this season and created seven possibilities for his team-mates – the third-most within the Southampton squad.
However the 18-year-old’s greatest ability is his ball carrying, having accrued the second-furthest distance (1,124m) of any Saints participant. He has had eight dribbles which have led to a shot, which is a club-leading stat.
MATCH PREDICTION: MANCHESTER CITY WIN
In-form Metropolis are at the moment second within the Premier League desk after accumulating 20 factors from their opening eight matches, whereas they’re the one staff within the division but to lose.
Since shedding three consecutive Premier League dwelling video games towards Southampton between 2001 and 2004, Metropolis are unbeaten of their final 12 towards them on the Etihad Stadium (W10 D2).
The Residents are at the moment on their longest-ever unbeaten league run, with their 2-1 victory over Wolves final trip extending it to 31 matches (W25 D6), since defeat at Aston Villa final December.
The earlier assembly between these groups completed 4-1 to Metropolis in April 2023, which signifies that Southampton have received simply certainly one of their final 13 (D3 L10) Premier League conferences with them.
The omens, then, will not be nice for second-bottom Southampton. They’ve misplaced seven of their eight Premier League video games this season, drawing the opposite towards Ipswich City in September. It’s simply the second time the Saints have ever did not win their opening eight matches of a league marketing campaign, after 1998-99 (first 9).
Solely Mick McCarthy (zero) has ever received fewer factors than Martin of their opening eight Premier League matches as a supervisor.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Manchester Metropolis – 79.6%
Draw – 11.9%
Southampton – 8.6%
