Manchester City Misses Three Key Players for Manchester Derby

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has confirmed that key players Rayan Ait-Nouri, Rayan Cherki, and Omar Marmoush will miss the upcoming Manchester derby due to injuries, with John Stones also a major doubt. Marmoush suffered a knee injury while on international duty with Egypt and is expected to be out for several weeks, missing matches against Manchester United, Napoli, and Arsenal before likely returning after the October international break. Stones withdrew from England duty with a muscle injury, making his availability uncertain for the derby. However, Phil Foden, Josko Gvardiol, and Savinho are available for selection, providing a boost ahead of the crucial fixture. Guardiola highlighted the reduced squad size following recent transfers and injuries, noting he now has only 16 senior players to choose from. Despite the injury setbacks, Guardiola praised striker Erling Haaland's importance to the team and expressed confidence in new goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma's abilities to integrate into the squad.