Tottenham fans recently found out that Fernandinho is one of the most frustrating players to come up against. However, they may not have to face him again despite playing City tomorrow. Ahead of Palace on Sunday Pep Guardiola told Sky Sports (transcript via the Manchester Evening News) that his Brazilian midfielder could miss the clash with a knock he picked up against Spurs.
Pep Guardiola has suggested that Fernandinho is an injury doubt for the @ChampionsLeague match against #thfc this coming week: "Yes. He finished badly against Tottenham. Today he is not fit. It is short-term. We will see [about Wednesday]." pic.twitter.com/QvkXkDyz4o
— Hotspur Related (@HotspurRelated) April 14, 2019
Pep Guardiola didn’t seem all that confident about the fitness of his Brazilian enforcer, and as far as the Lilywhites are all concerned, it would only be justice if he was to miss the Champions League quarter-final second leg given the way that he played against them in the first-leg. There was one incident with Harry Kane where VAR certainly should have stepped in, and Fernandinho should be facing a ban.
It’s quite common that players are hit with retrospective bans for incidents that referees either didn’t see or failed to adequately deal with during a game, and it seems ludicrous that Fernandinho failed to be punished for what he did to Harry Kane. The Brazilian left an elbow in on the England captain and then shoved his head into the turf as he got back up, and there are no Tottenham fans who took kindly to it.
You can read the Lilywhites’ verdict on Fernandinho here:
Fernandinho should be more than a doubt – he should have been sent off for striking Kane last week and be banned for this week’s game otherwise what’s the point of VAR?
— Mr G (@iangills) April 15, 2019
Should be banned anyway after the 1st leg!
— Darren Gough (@dgyido) April 14, 2019
No retrospective red card. Shocked
— Roy Quinoa (@RoyQuinoa) 14 April 2019
Should’ve been sent off anyway
— Harry Smith (@HarrySm80045753) 14 April 2019
He should be banned anyway after his #assault on @HKane #COYS
— JohnHayto (@JohnHayto) April 14, 2019
https://twitter.com/fosterdadkeith/status/1117536741932634112
He hurt his elbow chopping Harry Kane to bits.
— Michael James (@jogonformiles) April 14, 2019
Did he injure his elbow on Kane’s head?
— Heung Min (@HungLikeSon) April 14, 2019
The Lilywhites will be hoping Fernandinho misses out on the clash, and if he does pass as fit then they’ll be looking to Moussa Sissoko or Eric Dier to leave their mark on the Man City man.
