Foden, Haaland, Akanji - Man City injury latest and return dates as Blues dealt fresh blow
Manchester City could be without six players for the Premier League clash with Crystal Palace
Manchester City could be without Phil Foden for their lunchtime Premier League date with Crystal Palace.
Pep Guardiola revealed in his pre-match press conference that the midfielder was suffering with a knock and is a major doubt to take on the Eagles. Foden was replaced in the drab draw with Manchester United last time out and Guardiola said he was suffering with an injury.
City have seven Premier League games remaining, plus an FA Cup semi-final with Nottingham Forest, as they attempt to secure a top five finish in the league to guarantee Champions League football, as well as lifting domestic silverware in the cup.
Injuries have severely hampered City's campaign and could be without six first choice players for the visit of Palace. Here's the injury latest from the Etihad.
Phil Foden
Injury: Unknown
Foden could miss City's game with Palace having come off in the Manchester derby with a knock that saw him limp down the tunnel.
Guardiola will have to wait and see whether his situation has got any worse ahead of the game with the Eagles but described the issue as a knock, suggesting that if the playmaker does miss out that it won't be a long-term absence.
Expected return date: Everton (A) April 19
Erling Haaland
Injury: Ankle
Haaland was assessed by City on Monday having been forced off in the FA Cup quarter final tie with Bournemouth. He faces a spell on the sidelines although the Blues did not provide a timescale for his return and are hopeful he will play again this term.
A City statement read: "Manchester City FC can confirm that Erling Haaland has suffered an injury to his left ankle. The Norwegian striker sustained the injury during Sunday’s FA Cup quarter-final victory away at AFC Bournemouth.
"Erling underwent initial tests in Manchester on Monday morning and will now seek specialist consultation to confirm the full extent of the injury. Assessment remains ongoing to ascertain a full prognosis. The expectation is that Erling will be fit in time to play a further part in the remainder of this season, including this summer’s FIFA Club World Cup.
"Everyone at the club wishes Erling a speedy recovery"
Possible return date: Unknown
Nathan Ake
Injury: Foot
The defender was forced off at half time against Plymouth in the last round of the FA Cup with another injury in a season of knocks and issues both for the Dutchman and the defence as a whole. Guardiola confirmed he would be out for up to 11 weeks after undergoing surgery on a foot injury.
"Ten to eleven weeks, they said. When it is surgery, it is pretty serious and something wrong happened," Guardiola said of Ake. "He struggled a lot this season with the problems in his feet and it happened."
Possible return date: vs Bournemouth (H) - Sunday, May 18
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Rodri
Injury: anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)
Rodri has been working hard on his recovery. Guardiola teased a possible return ahead of the FA Cup win over Plymouth and the midfielder was on the pitch at the Etihad going through a few drills.
He has taken part in an individual training session at the CFA but despite his ambitions to play again before the end of the season and Guardiola's comments, a return is not thought to be imminent. The Club World Cup in June could be a possible target for his return.
Possible return date: May/June.
John Stones
Injury: Thigh
Stones was forced off after just eight minutes against Real Madrid earlier this year and it was feared he could require surgery and be sidelined for the rest of the season. But Guardiola offered a positive update recently and believes he could return before the end of the month.
Possible return date: April/May.
Manuel Akanji
Injury: Adductor
Akanji faces an extended spell on the sidelines after tearing his adductor muscle in the 3-2 defeat to Madrid at the Etihad Stadium. He was forced off at half-time and Guardiola anticipates he should return before the end of the month.
He said last month: "Eight to ten weeks out. His adductor is broken. We wish the best recovery for Manu because the effort he has done this season has been unbelievable."
"He's getting better," Guardiola said of Akanji. "All of them I think, I don't know about Nathan, but all of them will come before the end of the season."
Possible return date: Late April