Pep Guardiola has been hit with another injury blow ahead of facing Manchester United as Manchester City host Rúben Amorim’s men in the Premier League.
Rúben Amorim’s tenure at Manchester United has begun in stuttering fashion, with one win, one draw, and two defeats marking the opening weeks of the 2025/26 season.
A 1-0 loss to Arsenal kicked things off, though the display carried some encouragement. That was followed by a lacklustre 1-1 draw away at Fulham, before United suffered humiliation in the Carabao Cup, bowing out to League Two side Grimsby Town on penalties after a 2-2 draw.
Their first win finally arrived against Burnley, secured by Bruno Fernandes’ stoppage-time penalty in a 3-2 triumph.
After the international break, United face Manchester City at the Etihad, with Amorim eager for his side to show a sharper edge.
City hit with Marmoush injury blow
The upcoming Manchester derby is an interesting one, with neither side starting the season well. United sit 9th in the Premier League table with four points, while Pep Guardiola’s men are in 13th on three.
The tie in Eastern Manchester offers the potential for a major boost for either side if they can secure three points, while a loss could prove disastrous for both managers amid pressure from fans to see an uptick in form.
While City’s star striker, Erling Haaland, looks to be getting up to his usual devastating goalscoring abilities, scoring five and securing two assists against Moldova on Thursday evening, another one of their bright forwards, Omar Marmoush, has suffered an injury while with Egypt.
The 26-year-old, who signed for the Citizens in January for £59 million, started and played 63 minutes against Ethiopia last week, but had to come off after just ten minutes against Burkina Faso.
He has since been spotted using crutches to manoeuvre around, suggesting that his starting position against United is in jeopardy.
In a statement on their website, City said: “Manchester City FC can confirm that Omar Marmoush has sustained a knee injury whilst on international duty with Egypt. The City striker suffered the injury in the early stages of Egypt’s World Cup qualifying match with Burkina Faso on Tuesday evening.
“Initial results on a scan performed in Egypt indicate he will not be available for the Manchester derby on Sunday, and he will now return to Manchester for more assessment and to begin his rehabilitation.
“Everyone at City wishes Omar a speedy recovery.”
Guardiola confirms Cherki injury blow
Earlier this summer, United were closely linked with former Lyon winger Rayan Cherki, but the talented Frenchman instead chose to sign with Guardiola’s side for around £34 million.
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United faced Lyon in a dramatic Europa League quarter-final tie toward the back end of last season, with Cherki on the losing side and admitting once he signed for City that he wants to ‘kill’ United when he plays them next.
However, Guardiola has now confirmed that the 21-year-old, who has two Premier League appearances to his name so far, will miss the forthcoming game on Sunday afternoon.
Cherki is expected to be out for around two months with a thigh issue and will have to watch the team he seems to despise so much from the stands.
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