Vincent Kompany will be absent from Pep Guardiola’s matchday squad as Manchester City host Liverpool at Etihad on Saturday.
Premier League action returns on Saturday after the fortnight-long international break as Manchester City play hosts to Liverpool in the weekend’s marquee clash. Here’s the all-important team news ahead of the high profile encounter at Etihad.
Pep Guardiola has just two players missing from his matchday squad as the Citizens get ready to welcome Liverpool on Saturday. However, one of these absentees is captain Vincent Kompany, who misses out due to a calf injury that he sustained while on international duty with Belgium.
PEP: I do not think @VincentKompany will be available tomorrow. #cityvlfc #mancity
— Manchester City (@ManCity) September 8, 2017
PEP: I am sad (for Kompany). The last seven, eight, nine games last season he played no problem, but we will get him fit as soon as possible
— Manchester City (@ManCity) September 8, 2017
However, Guardiola confirmed in his pre-match press conference that Kompany is only likely to be unavailable this weekend. “He played with Belgium against Gibraltar. They won 9-0. He had a little problem in his calf. I think he will not be able for tomorrow,” he said. “It will be short [his absence]. The next time he will be able to play.”
The other certain absentee on Saturday will be Raheem Sterling, who was dismissed in City’s previous league game against Bournemouth after two bookable offences. Sterling’s compatriot Kyle Walker, though, is set to return on Saturday after serving his own one-match ban two weeks ago.
Also in contention on Saturday will be Ilkay Gundogan who, Guardiola confirmed, has been training with the first-team squad, and is ready to return after recovering from a knee injury. “He has trained with us in the last two weeks, three weeks,” he said. “He is part of the group.”
Meanwhile, Jurgen Klopp has no new injury concerns to report following the international break, meaning Nathaniel Clyne (back) and Adam Lallana (thigh) remain the major absentees from his first-team squad.
The big news involves Philippe Coutinho though. The Brazilian playmaker, who was heavily linked with a move to Barcelona before a move failed to materialise, has been left out of the matchday squad by Klopp, although he has finally returned to training at Melwood this week.
Jürgen Klopp confirms Philippe Coutinho will not be included in the matchday squad to face Manchester City. pic.twitter.com/lZGilb7Iyk
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) September 8, 2017
Providing the update on Coutinho in his pre-match press conference, the Liverpool boss said that he is fit and healthy, but has been afforded some extra time away from the matchday squad to build his fitness.
“I had to make the decision; it was so clear, we have seven games in the next three weeks,” he said. “I decided to leave him out of the squad for City so we can use these four or five days for real and proper training.”
Deadline day signing Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, though, is in line to make his Liverpool debut on Saturday. The Englishman trained for the first time with his new teammates on Wednesday, and is available for selection.
