Manchester United return to Premier League action after the international break with a clash against rivals Manchester City and Pep Guardiola has confirmed an ironic injury blow for his side.
Manchester United began their campaign with a narrow 1-0 defeat to Arsenal, but the performance was encouraging and offered plenty of positives despite the result.
Their following fixture at Fulham ended in a 1-1 draw. Although United managed to secure a point, the overall display was unconvincing and left fans with renewed concerns.
Things deteriorated further in the Carabao Cup, where United endured a shock exit at the hands of League Two side Grimsby Town. Having fallen 2-0 behind, they were fortunate to even take the tie to penalties, only to be dumped out in humiliating fashion.
United responded, however, with a much-needed 3-2 victory over Burnley, showing greater attacking intent and resilience. After the international break, they will face their biggest test yet as they prepare for a derby clash against Manchester City on September 14.
Guardiola confirms ironic injury blow for City ahead of United clash
City have been far from their best so far this season too, with back-to-back defeats against Tottenham Hotspur and Brighton coming as they head into the international break.
After their defeat at the Amex Stadium, Pep Guardiola has confirmed that one player will miss the upcoming Manchester Derby and several other games.
Rayan Cherki, who was linked to Old Trafford before his summer move to City, missed the clash and Guardiola said after the defeat that the midfielder will be injured for two months, ruling him out of the Manchester Derby.
This is slightly ironic after Cherki’s quotes when he signed for City, claiming that he wanted to ‘kill’ United in this game after losing to the Reds with Lyon last season.
“I [didn’t] like [it] when Manchester United won the game against Lyon because I am a Lyonnais,” said Cherki. “Now I am waiting for the game [to] kill them,” he said.
City clash suits United right now
United are far from perfect right now but Guardiola’s City almost feel like the exact kind of team they can succeed against.
The likes of Bryan Mbeumo, Benjamin Šeško and Matheus Cunha – who will hopefully be available after the international break – all thrive in transition.
That is exactly where City are vulnerable right now. It was a problem for them last season and it doesn’t seem like they’ve solved the issue.
Read More: Player Ratings – Manchester United 3-2 Burnley (Premier League)
Last time out at the Etihad Stadium, the Reds won in incredible fashion with two late goals, and they will hoping to recreate the result as they look to properly kickstart their season.
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