Manchester City's injury problems seem endless this season. Just when Pep Guardiola had managed to recover all his players except for Rodri, another injury hit… and it seems worse than it appeared at first: Akanji’s season might be over.

Guardiola didn’t think it was that serious

This is due to muscle problems that arose during the first half of the match against Real Madrid, where Manuel Akanji had to play as a right-back to try to stop Vinícius Júnior. The Brazilian forced him into constant efforts, and Guardiola had to substitute him before halftime. Prior to that, Jack Grealish also had to leave the field due to a muscle injury.

“I still don’t know what the injury is. But, if they went off due to muscle issues, they might not be available for the next match against Real Madrid”, said Pep Guardiola after the game. However, the portal ‘FPLMaineRoad’, specialized in Manchester City information, reported that Akanji might not return to play this year. The club has not issued an official statement on the matter.

Manchester City’s solutions

Since his breakout at Borussia Dortmund, muscle injuries were the major problem that hindered Akanji’s progression. He suffered a total of 15 injuries in four and a half years. A problem he seemed to have solved at Manchester City… until this season, where he has already suffered two injuries. This would be the third.

This situation represents a significant setback for Manchester City ahead of their upcoming return match against Real Madrid. With Kyle Walker leaving for AC Milan, Guardiola will have to decide whether to position Rico Lewis at right-back or, as he’s done several times before, to reposition Matheus Nunes. In any case, it doesn’t seem enough to stop Vinícius Júnior.