Manchester City handed major injury boost in their quadruple quest

Pep Guardiola, last week, mentioned how he will be praying for his Manchester City players to come back fit from international duty, given his side’s recent injury troubles.

Claudio Bravo and Benjamin Mendy have been long-term absentees. Kevin De Bruyne‘s season has been marred with injuries, and Manchester City club-captain Vincent Kompany continues to deal with his recurring fitness issues.

Manchester City, even without such immaculate star-power, have looked unstoppable since the turn of the year. Pep Guardiola’s men have turned the heat on Liverpool after winning 10 out of their last 11 games in the Premier League. The Champions only sit a point behind the Reds, and are also making strides towards an unprecedented quadruple.

Manchester City saw Swansea off in dramatic fashion to book a semi-final ticket to Wembley only a few days after thumping Schalke 7-0 in the second leg of the Champions League Round of 16. With the Carabao Cup already in the bag and a successive league title very much in sight, Pep Guardiola will be desperate to have a fit and healthy squad for the frantic fixtures next month.

The Spaniard will be delighted to hear that Kevin De Bruyne, Fernandinho, Benjamin Mendy and club-captain Vincent Kompany are all set to join in on the action after the international break. All four players took part in training yesterday at Carrington, and Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola will hope they remain fit for the remainder of the season.

Kevin De Bruyne was playing a different ballgame last season as he bagged the Playmaker award for a remarkable 16 assists. Fernandinho, without a shadow of a doubt, has been City’s most important player this season. His return will surely bring a sense of relief around the Etihad.

Benjamin Mendy has been a peripheral figure in this Manchester City team because of his repeated injury concerns. However, he has the ability to greatly impact games when he bombards from the left-flank. Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany, like Mendy, has had his share of injury problems, but the Belgian’s leadership qualities will be a significant factor in City’s upcoming crunch games.

The fixtures, after the international break, will come thick-and-fast for Guardiola’s men as they travel to Fulham on Saturday to resume their pursuit of back-to-back league titles. The Cityzens then host Cardiff in another league match on Wednesday before travelling to Wembley for their FA Cup semi-final against Brighton.