BREAKING: Nine (9) players are expected to be absent from the Manchester derby, which presents United and City with a selection challenge

When it comes to the Premier League, Manchester City will be playing host to Manchester United on Sunday afternoon.

This coming Saturday, the Etihad Stadium will play host to the most recent iteration of the highly anticipated Manchester derby.

In a contest that is of utmost significance for both teams, Manchester City will play football against Manchester United. For their part, Manchester United will be working hard to ensure that they continue to be in the running for a European finish, while Manchester City will be seeking to keep the pressure on their fellow title contenders, Arsenal and Liverpool.

Due to the fact that United’s injury list is currently significantly longer than that of its noisy neighbors, the two teams will be unable to draw upon a selection of players. during being observed with a limp during Wednesday’s FA Cup victory over Nottingham Forest, there were concerns that captain Bruno Fernandes could be sidelined for Sunday. However, Erik ten Hag has allayed fears that the Portuguese midfielder will be absent from the game. In addition, it is believed that Raphael Varane will be playing at the Etihad Stadium, despite the fact that he was a question mark prior to the match against Forest.

One player who will be absent from the Red Devils lineup is Harry Maguire, who did not participate in Wednesday’s game and is not anticipated to be participating in this match. “They [Varane and Fernandes] fought to be part [of it], and they came well out of the game,” Ten Hag remarked in a statement that he made on Thursday afternoon. Additionally, I believe that they will be accessible for Sunday as well. And as for the rest, I don’t believe any players will be able to make it back for Sunday, so we will be using the same squad that we used the day before.

In light of this, Rasmus Hojlund, who is expected to recover from his muscle injury around the middle of March, There is a lack of availability among the following players: Tyrell Malacia, Anthony Martial, Lisandro Martinez, Mason Mount, Luke Shaw, and Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

The injury problems that City is facing are not as significant, since there are just two players who are now unavailable. In the 38th minute of Wednesday’s FA Cup victory against Luton Town, Jack Grealish was taken out of the game due to an injury, and it is extremely improbable that he will be deemed fit for this approaching weekend. It would appear that the England international has experienced a recurrence of the groin ailment that has prevented him from participating in the 2023–24 season up to this point.

When asked about the status of the midfielder after the match against Luton, Guardiola stated, “I didn’t speak to the doctor yet, but I think he complained about the groin, so maybe quite similar.” Unfortunately, he suffered another injury at the beginning of the game, despite the fact that he was feeling really, extremely good. He is going through a difficult season right now.

Due to the fact that he was absent from the matchday squad for the fifth time in a row earlier this week, center-back Josko Gvardiol is another player who is uncertain to play in the derby. There has been a foot issue that the Croatian defender has been struggling with recently, and it is not certain whether the United match will come too soon for the 22-year-old player. Earlier this week, when Guardiola was asked about the status of Gvardiol, he made the following comment: “He’s good too. I am unsure [as to whether or not he will compete versus Luton]. He is training without too much discomfort. That being said, he did not train with us, but he is on the approach of returning to our group. Training this afternoon, but my impression is that everyone is doing well.”

During the pre-match press conference that the City manager is scheduled to hold on Friday, it is anticipated that he will deliver additional updates regarding Grealish and Gvardiol.