- Rodri, Oscar Bobb have long-term injuries while Mateo Kovacic is also out
- A first-half brace from James Maddison gave Spurs perfect start in 4-0 rout
- Liverpool correspondent LEWIS STEELE tells all on bombshell chat with Mo Salah – LISTEN NOW to It’s All Kicking Off! New episodes every Monday and Thursday
Manchester City have been handed a setback as they look to bounce back from five straight defeats in their Champions League clash against Feyenoord.
Pep Guardiola had never lost four games in a row in his managerial career until his side succumbed to Tottenham, Bournemouth, Sporting Lisbon and Brighton in a nightmare fortnight earlier this month.
City then fell to a fifth consecutive loss after Ange Postecoglou‘s Spurs came out on top once again on Saturday, this time at the Etihad.
A quickfire brace from James Maddison, celebrating his 28th birthday, got the away side off to the perfect start before second-half strikes from Pedro Porro and Brennan Johnson secured the rout.
The Cityzens’ woes have been partly influenced by a string of injuries to key men including long-term issues for Rodri and Oscar Bobb and more recent knocks to the likes of Mateo Kovacic, Ruben Dias and Jeremy Doku.
Now another name can be added to the list of those on the sidelines after England defender John Stones missed training ahead of tonight’s shot at redemption, the Manchester Evening News reports.
The 30-year-old was substituted at half-time in City’s humiliating defeat to Spurs and after the debacle Guardiola hinted that the switch was injury-related.
He said: ‘John feels good but has to leave after 45 minutes.
‘John can play but can play 45 minutes and you need rhythm without training.’
Stones missed City’s pre-match training session on Monday in a strong hint that he will be absent for the clash against Feyenoord.
The centre-back has been a mainstay throughout a golden era in the club’s history, playing 268 matches as the side have won six Premier League titles, two FA Cups and a Champions League in 2023.
This season he has found opportunities limited thanks to injury troubles, featuring just 11 times in City’s troubled campaign and making just seven starts.
He is joined on a lengthy list of absentees by Spaniard Rodri, whose calming influence in midfield has been missed following a season-ending knee ligament injury, and exciting forward Bobb, who is expected back in February.
Meanwhile, Kovacic remains out after picking up a knock during the international break.
In a rare morsel of good news for Guardiola, centre-back Dias and tricky winger Doku returned to training yesterday to give the manager more options at both ends of the pitch.
Dias is not expected to be ready in time for the Feyenoord encounter, with youngster Jahmai Simpson-Pusey a possibility to feature after 90 minutes against Sporting, while Grealish and Savinho have been playing in Doku’s stead.
City will be as desperate for a win at the Etihad as they have been at any point in Guardiola’s glittering reign after plumbing new depths against Spurs on Saturday.
The home side bossed the opening 10 minutes but the visitors soon clicked and Maddison stuck twice to fire Spurs into a 2-0 lead midway through the opening half.
Porro then made it three shortly after the interval by scoring against the club who used to own him but never gave him a first-team chance. Substitute Johnson then tapped home from a Timo Werner cross to complete a rout in added time.
Meanwhile, City remain second but find themselves eight points off the lead after Liverpool beat Southampton on Sunday.
