Why Jeremy Doku and Jack Grealish aren't in Man City squad vs Sparta Prague

Manchester City are without six players to take on Sparta Prague in the Champions League after Jeremy Doku and Jack Grealish were ruled out

Jeremy Doku and Jack Grealish were both absent from the Manchester City squad to take on Sparta Prague in the Champions League.

Both players were involved in the late 2-1 win over Wolves on Sunday, with Doku starting and Grealish coming off the bench to replace Savinho, but did not train with the rest of the group on Tuesday. Neither were deemed fit enough to be in the squad for Wednesday's game; the pair were described as 'not fully fit' on the club website while Guardiola said that Grealish would be out for seven to ten days and Doku a little longer.

That takes it up to six injuries for Pep Guardiola to contend with. Rodri and Oscar Bobb are long-term absentees, while Kevin De Bruyne has been missing for five weeks with a thigh problem and Kyle Walker returned from England duty with a knee problem.

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"The most important thing is not training sessions, it is being fit," the manager said on Tuesday. "If you are injured you lose eight games. Muscular, not the injuries to Oscar [Bobb] or Rodri. No injuries is the only reason why you can stay until the end of the season.

"That's why the doctors, the medical department, the physios, the intensity you have to do, you have to be so careful because of all the travel and national teams and games every three days.

"I just pray for them to be fit, the rest will come. Talk a little bit, they get it and try to do it. The problem is how can they do it if they are out for one month and a half."