Manuel Akanji, Manchester City, Etihad Stadium, Sky Blues, Premier League
Manchester City have been dealt a potential injury blow ahead of tonight’s Champions League clash against Sevilla.
The Lowdown: City vs Sevilla
Following on from their 1-0 win over Leicester City in the Premier League last weekend, the Manchester club take on Sevilla for their final group game of the Champions League at the Etihad Stadium.
Having kept four clean sheets in the five group games they’ve played in the competition so far this season, it’s safe to suggest that Pep Guardiola would want to see his side keep another one this time around.
However, it appears as though the City manager may be without one figure in his squad who has played a big part in their Champions League journey this season.
The Latest: Akanji missing from City training
According to a recent Twitter post from journalist Simon Bajkowski, Erling Haaland isn’t the only notable absentee at training, as City defender Manuel Akanji was not spotted in Tuesday’s session either.
Bajkowski also added that Kyle Walker was not there, with the full-back still recovering from surgery.
The Verdict: A potential worry for Guardiola
Bearing in mind how City have kept three clean sheets in the four Champions League games that Akanji has played in, it’s safe to say that he has been a prominent and useful figure for the team in this competition.
In fact, the 27-year-old is in the top three at City for the number of clearances (8), blocks (4) and successful tackles (5) he has made in Europe this season.
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This highlights how much of an effective figure the £180k-per-week unit is at the back and why he could be a big miss for his side this evening.
Moving forward, if the Blues do have to get through tonight’s game without Akanji, everyone at the club will undoubtedly be hoping that he won’t be missing any other games or else it could be a big worry for Guardiola.
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