Pep Guardiola is confident of having a fully fit Manchester City squad to pick from ahead of Saturday’s Champions League final against Chelsea in Porto. City wrapped up their Premier League title win with a dominant 5-0 Etihad win over Everton on the final day of the campaign with the departing Sergio Aguero scoring twice off the bench.
Guardiola is
expected to give his squad a few days rest before returning to training and
heading to Portugal later this week.
And with less
than a week to go until City’s first-ever Champions League final, Express Sport
looks at the injury situation facing the Catalan boss.
Sergio Aguero
Aguero was granted his farewell Premier League appearance
against Carlo Ancelotti’s visitors and the Argentinian marked it with an
impressive goalscoring end.
Two late goals brought his City total to 184 Premier League
goals and confirmed him as the highest ever Premier League goalscorer for one
club ahead of former Manchester United star Wayne Rooney.
Aguero has struggled with minor knocks in recent weeks but his
cameo against Everton means he will be fit for at least a squad place against
Chelsea.
Kevin De Bruyne Belgian star De Bruyne completed the full 90 minutes in the win
over Everton with a fine goal and an assist to his name at full time.
The former Chelsea midfielder missed City’s Premier League games
against Chelsea and Newcastle with a thigh problem and he remained on the bench
for the 3-2 defeat away at Brighton on May 18.
After suffering no ill effects in his recovery, the 29-year-old
is certain to start in the final.
Kyle Walker
England full-back Kyle Walker joined De Bruyne back in the
starting XI against Everton after also missing the Brighton loss.
Guardiola confirmed the defender twisted his ankle in a bizarre
accident when playing with his children in the build-up to the Brighton game.
After passing a pre-game fitness test he played the full match
against the Toffees and will offer Guardiola’s defence a key boost ahead of the
final.
Ilkay
Gundogan
German international Gundogan is the one potential injury
concern for Guardiola ahead of the flight to Portugal.
The former Borussia Dortmund schemer was forced off in the
second half against Graham Potter’s side after taking some rough treatment from
the Seagulls midfield.
Guardiola kept him on the bench against Everton as a precaution,
and he is expected to be fit in time to face Thomas Tuchel’s side, but he is
currently the only real doubt from Guardiola’s first-choice starting line-up.
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