October 4th 2024.
This weekend at 3pm on Saturday, Pep Guardiola's team will be hosting Fulham in a highly anticipated Premier League match. However, the Manchester City squad will be missing four key players for this game. On a positive note, the star striker Erling Haaland is fit and ready to take the field.
There were some concerns about Haaland's injury after he suffered a knock to his ankle during last weekend's game against Newcastle. However, he was able to start in Tuesday's Champions League match against Slovan Bratislava and even scored City's third goal in their impressive 4-0 win. Haaland was substituted after 60 minutes, but Guardiola assured everyone that it was just a precautionary measure.
In a press conference on Friday, Guardiola confirmed that Haaland will be available to play against Fulham, stating "Erling is fine." Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Kevin De Bruyne who is still struggling with a thigh injury and will not be able to participate in this weekend's match. In addition, Nathan Ake, Rodri, and Oscar Bobb will also be absent from the game.
Guardiola explained, "Everyone else except Nathan, Kevin, Rodri, and Oscar are available. The rest of the team is in good shape." This news may not come as a surprise to many as De Bruyne has only played in four Premier League games this season and has been out of action since the 18th of September.
Despite the absence of some key players, Manchester City remains the favorite in this match, especially since they have won their last 16 meetings with Fulham. This is the longest winning streak by one English team over another. However, Guardiola is not underestimating their opponents and had nothing but praise for the Cottagers.
He specifically mentioned their manager, Marco Silva, who has already spent a few years in London. Guardiola also highlighted some of Fulham's standout players, such as Joachim Andersen, who has been a valuable addition to the team. He also praised the speed and agility of players like Alex Iwobi and Adama Traore, which he believes will pose a threat to City's defense.
Guardiola's only concern is how his team will handle Fulham's tactics and strategies, rather than focusing on their previous encounters. He said, "It's always a team that creates a lot of problems. They have a lot of weapons, speed, and a solid defensive structure. That is my only concern. We need to be prepared for what they will do, not what happened in the past."
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