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Nobody expected drama to return to Manchester City so soon, but football has a way of creating storms even when everything looks perfect on the surface. Pep Guardiola thought his biggest headaches this season would come from injuries, tactics, and pressure in the title race, but life always finds a way to deliver the most unexpected challenge. This time, the battle is not about contracts, not about money, not about transfers, not even about a player versus manager feud. It is something much deeper, something emotional, something that strikes at the pride of a footballer and the control of a football club. This time the story is between Pep Guardiola and Omar Marmoush, and the trigger is the coming African Cup of Nations.

Omar Marmoush came to Manchester City with fire in his eyes, hunger in his heart, and a dream to become a superstar under Pep Guardiola. The fans loved him instantly, the club loved his attitude, and even Guardiola himself admired his courage and attacking instincts. Everything was going well until one cruel moment in September when Marmoush left for international duty with Egypt. Football breaks hearts without warning. During that national break he got injured, a painful injury that forced him out for weeks. City missed him, he missed football even more, and the frustration sat heavily on him every single day.

He worked in silence during his recovery, fighting to return stronger, lifting weights, running, pushing his muscles to their limits. Guardiola watched him, encouraged him, told him to focus on his comeback. And when he finally returned in October it was like a hero stepping out of the shadows. In the Carabao Cup match against Swansea City the Etihad exploded when Marmoush scored City’s second goal. It wasn’t just a goal. It was a statement. It was a message that he was back, and he was ready to give everything for the club again.

But football never allows the happiness to settle for too long. Just when City got their winger back, a new problem knocked on the door. AFCON is coming in the winter and Egypt wants their star attacker. Hossam Hassan wants his squad ready early, fully prepared to fight for the trophy. And that is where the storm begins. A friendly match against Nigeria has been scheduled for December 14, the same day Manchester City have a Premier League game away to Crystal Palace. Egypt wants Marmoush earlier than scheduled. Manchester City do not want to release him before the official AFCON date. Between loyalty to the club and love for his country, Omar Marmoush stands in the middle of a battlefield.

Pep Guardiola has many trophies, many achievements, and many victories, but one thing he hates the most is losing control. He builds systems, he controls every detail, he needs clarity and certainty. But international football is different. It takes his players when he needs them the most. He cannot fight the rules. He cannot change the calendar. And he knows that if Egypt reach the AFCON final, Marmoush will miss eight matches for Manchester City. Eight matches in a title race where every point counts. It is enough to change everything.

Liverpool are dealing with the same situation with Mohamed Salah, but their problems are not Guardiola’s concern. Pep’s world is Manchester City and nothing else. That is why this situation has started burning like fire silently. Guardiola wants Marmoush to stay for the Crystal Palace match. He wants him available for Brentford, West Ham, Nottingham Forest, Sunderland, Chelsea, Brighton, and especially the derby against Manchester United on January 17. But Egypt want him early. AFCON means everything to African players. It is pride. It is identity. It is family. It is history. Wearing the national badge means more than money, more than contracts, more than club loyalty.

Everyone knows Marmoush is not the kind of player to cause chaos or shout or fight, but inside his heart there is pressure building up. Egypt needs him. His family will want to see him represent his country. His people expect him. His nation’s flag means something that even trophies in Europe cannot replace. But there is another part of him that feels loyalty to Manchester City. They trusted him. Guardiola supported him during injury. The club helped him heal. The fans waited for him. Now he must choose between two worlds.

Rumours are already floating around that Man City will refuse to send him early. Some insiders say Pep Guardiola will never agree to release Marmoush on December 14. Pep believes in discipline. Pep believes nobody is bigger than the club. Pep believes Manchester City comes first. But Egypt does not care about Manchester City’s schedule. They have their own battle to fight. They want the trophy again after many years of heartbreak. They want their strongest squad. They want their stars.

That is why many people think a fallout is inevitable. Nobody wants it. Marmoush does not want conflict with Guardiola. Guardiola does not want to see his player upset. But football is cruel. If Marmoush is blocked from joining his teammates in December, he will feel disrespected. If he leaves early without permission, Guardiola will feel betrayed. Both men could lose, even if both are right in their own way.

Some fans are worried that Marmoush might never be the same if Guardiola blocks his international call-up. Footballers are emotional beings. When their confidence, pride and identity are touched, performances change. And Manchester City need Marmoush at his best. They cannot depend only on Erling Haaland every week. Phil Foden must score more. Savinho must step up. Jeremy Doku must take responsibility. Cherki must contribute more. Tijjani Reijnders must create more danger. Other players need to take leadership instead of watching Haaland score every weekend.

That is why many football analysts say Pep should let Marmoush go without drama. They say this is the moment for City to prove that they can win even without their injured or absent players. They say holding Marmoush back will only damage the relationship and damage the spirit of the dressing room. City are strong enough. They have enough talent. They have enough quality. And sometimes the best victory comes when a team learns how to survive without one star.

Some inside the club say Pep is already thinking deeply about this situation. Some say he might release Marmoush at the last possible moment. Some say Marmoush will be given freedom to decide. Some say Egypt will apply pressure through official channels. Nobody knows yet which side the story will fall upon. But one thing everyone agrees on is this: something emotional is coming.

Imagine the silence in Marmoush’s apartment the night before the decision. The thoughts running through his mind. His country calling him. His club needing him. The fear of disappointing his manager. The fear of letting down his nation. Some choices in life do not have winners. Some decisions break the heart no matter which side you choose. That is the moment Marmoush is walking into.

If he stays for Manchester City’s Crystal Palace game, he will feel guilty for not joining Egypt early. If he leaves early for Egypt, he will feel guilty for leaving Guardiola in the middle of a crucial month of football. This situation has no simple answers, only consequences. And that is how drama begins.

One thing has always been true in football: when club interests collide with international duty, only emotions can decide the outcome. Soon the press will talk. Soon fans will argue. Soon social media will take sides. Some will say the club pays his salary and therefore must come first. Others will say playing for your country is the greatest honour and nothing should stop it. Everybody will talk, but only two people will feel the pain: Omar Marmoush and Pep Guardiola.

Maybe this story will end peacefully. Maybe Guardiola will give his blessing. Maybe Marmoush will leave proudly and return stronger. Maybe City will survive the AFCON period without dropping points. Maybe the team will use his absence as motivation. Maybe the club will show support and welcome him back like a hero after AFCON.

But maybe it will not end that way. Maybe anger will build. Maybe frustration will grow. Maybe the press will twist the story. Maybe the dressing room will feel tension. Maybe Marmoush will come back from AFCON tired, emotionally drained, frustrated and distant. Maybe the trust will break.

That is why this storyline matters more than people think. This is not just football. This is emotion. This is identity. This is loyalty. This is pride. And sometimes, pride creates battles that nobody wants, but nobody can escape.

AFCON is coming. The calendar is ticking. December is getting closer. And the world of football is watching silently. Marmoush is back from injury and he is shining again. Guardiola is focused on winning everything. But beneath the surface a storm is forming, slow and quiet, but powerful enough to change everything.

The next chapter will come soon, and when it comes, the truth will be revealed. Either Pep gives him freedom and earns his eternal respect, or Pep blocks the early departure and risks losing Marmoush emotionally. One decision. One moment. One choice that could change their bond forever.

For now nobody speaks publicly. The smiles are still there. The handshakes are still real. The praise is still flowing. But football has taught us many times that the biggest dramas always begin quietly, backstage, far away from cameras, slowly, until suddenly everything explodes.

Pep Guardiola and Omar Marmoush are heading toward a crossroads. The African Cup of Nations will decide how this story ends. And when that day finally arrives, Manchester City will either become stronger than ever before… or they will remember this moment as the exact point where peace turned into pressure.