Pep Guardiola makes Jeremy Doku injury return date prediction | Football

Pep Guardiola expects Jeremy Doku to miss at the very least three more games for Manchester City duty to injury.

The 23-year-old missed Manchester City’s 3-0 win at Crystal Palace on Sunday, with Guardiola saying he was out with a ‘leg’ injury.

The Belgian won’t be back for the Carabao Cup quarter-final against Brentford on Wednesday and is unlikely to play again in 2025.

Speaking ahead of the clash with the Bees in midweek, Guardiola confirmed that John Stones and Rodri are also sidelined.

‘Jeremy and John are out, Rodri is out. The remainder I feel might be ready,’ he said at a press conference.

‘I don’t know [how long Doku will be out]. Two or three weeks. Sunderland within the Latest Yr perhaps. We are going to see.’

Manchester City go to Sunderland on Latest Yr’s Day within the Premier League, after a house game against West Ham on Saturday and a visit to Nottingham Forest per week later.

It’s a blow for Guardiola in a really busy period of the calendar, which also sees Omar Marmoush and Rayan Ait-Nouri leave for the Africa Cup of Nations.

Marmoush is representing Egypt and Ait-Nouri playing for Algeria, neither of which being regular starts for Manchester City but would otherwise play their parts over the festive period.

The incredibly busy schedule continues into January, with Manchester City hosting Chelsea on January 4, Brighton three days later and Exeter City within the FA Cup one other three days after that.

The City boss says fans can expect a much-changed team against Brentford on Wednesday, naming James Trafford as a start in goal and certain some academy players as well.

‘James goes to play and all of the players that didn’t play recently are going to play and a few from the academy because three days after that we now have West Ham,’ he revealed.

‘I’m not saying it’s not the priority to get to the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup, but normally after we achieve it, it’s when we now have all of the squad, no injuries and we will rotate.

‘When you’re one game away from the semi-finals, in case you can take it, take it, since you never know when it’s coming back.

‘We lost Rayan and Omar. Now we have some injuries like John and Rodri. We’ll see but we wish to get to the semi-finals.

‘Now we now have less recovery, three days not 4, in fact the players that didn’t play recently are going to play and the academy so we are going to see.’

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