Manchester City will be without TWO key players for Newcastle’s trip to the Etihad this weekend, with John Stones now ruled out alongside star man Kevin De Bruyne.
Stones has been one of their top performing defenders under Pep Guardiola and was rested last night for their Super Cup win over Sevilla, but he’s injured his hamstring while training in Greece this morning and will play no part in Saturday night’s game.
De Bruyne has already been ruled out of the match with a serious hamstring injury picked up in last Friday’s 3-0 win over Burnley, with the Belgian expected to be missing for three to four months.
Another potential boost for Newcastle is the fact Man City were in Super Cup action last night, playing through sweltering conditions in Athens. They took on Europa League winners Sevilla and won on penalties following a 1-1 draw. However, they trained in Greece on Thursday morning and will return to the UK just 48 hours before they take on Eddie Howe’s Mags at the Etihad.
Speaking after the game, Guardiola was not happy with the early-season schedule his side have been served up, slating the Premier League’s decision to have them playing so soon after their Athens. Watch what he had to say below:
