Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola will be worrying about his side's fitness as they return from the international break ahead of the Premier League showdown with Arsenal. Before his players departed, he had one simple message for them: avoid injuries.
Usually, this is standard advice from Guardiola. However, considering the amount of friendlies scheduled during this break, he urged his players to be mindful of their exertion levels, bearing in mind the heavy schedule awaiting them upon return across three separate competitions.
Erling Haaland was specifically warned by Guardiola who said he'd 'come after' him if he returned injured. Thankfully, the footage of Haaland limping in training didn't lead to something more serious and he managed to start two matches for Norway.
«He's not my player anymore,» Guardiola remarked about Haaland and whether he would prefer if he didn't play this week. But it wasn't Haaland he should have been concerned about.
The first worrisome case was Kyle Walker. Although he tried to push through, the defender was forced to limped out of England's loss to Brazil due to injury.
Gareth Southgate admitted that he didn't know the severity of Walker's problem but showed concern as the full-back usually stays clear of injuries. Walker himself shared a post saying he hoped his injury won't turn out to be too severe.
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Reports suggest the injury is not as bad as first feared, but he will be assessed upon his return to the City Football Academy this week. He is not a player worth risking a premature return, and despite the
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