Manchester City Injury Update: Erling Haaland & Manuel Akanji Out as Ederson & John Stones Ready to Face Tottenham Hotspur in FA Cup

The excitement around Manchester City’s FA Cup 4th round against Tottenham Hotspur is keeping fans on the edge of their seats. Both formidable sides will be looking to book their seat in the next round of the world’s oldest national soccer competition. More than the match, many are eager to know about the injury updates surrounding Manchester City stars. Will Erling Haaland and Manuel Akanji be able to recover in time, just like their teammates, Ederson and John Stones? Also, is Kevin De Bruyne a major doubt? 

John Stones

John Stones faced an injury setback during the game against Everton in December, a consequence of a controversial decision. However, just a few days ago, the defender made a return and was seen training with his teammates. He will be available for the starting XI to deny Ange Postecoglou’s side a shot on goal.

Ederson 

Thanks to the Abu Dhabi winter camp, Manchester City didn’t need to play any league or cup fixtures. Otherwise, Pep Guardiola would have faced a conundrum over goalkeeper selection and flexibility. Both Zack Steffen and Ederson had suffered knee injuries. While the USMNT star is still sidelined, we can expect the Brazilian goalie back against Tottenham, despite having Stefan Ortega handy as their backup goalie. 

Manuel Akanji 

After sustaining a knock in the FA Cup game against Huddersfield, he was compelled to leave the pitch. Despite Guardiola’s initial concerns about him potentially being sidelined for weeks, the 10-day Abu Dhabi trip worked wonders for the defender. However, he still isn’t ready and won’t make it, at least to the starting XI, confirmed Pep Guardiola.

Erling Haaland

Erling Haaland, sidelined for the last 6 weeks due to a foot injury, has rejoined Manchester City’s team training. However, uncertainties persist regarding his fitness for the upcoming FA Cup tie. Although Pep Guardiola confirmed the striker can train, he mentioned that the 23-year-old is still ‘not perfect.’ We shall see him in action against Burnley in the upcoming Premier League fixture.

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Kevin De Bruyne

Although Kevin De Bruyne announced his return triumphantly against Newcastle United, he is still not at 100%. “It’s hard to say where I am in terms of total fitness of playing every three days. Fortunately, the schedule is a little bit lighter at the moment, so I have some time to get back to that [level],” he candidly expressed, in an interview. It seems that to avoid further aggregation, he isn’t looking to rush and wants to reignite his form on the pitch with patience. This certainly raises concerns about his presence against Tottenham. 

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