As Tottenham Hotspur prepares to face Manchester City on Saturday evening, both teams are facing significant injury concerns that could see up to 18 players sidelined. Spurs, who are looking to recover from two consecutive defeats before the international break, will be without several key players, while Manchester City also has several doubts over the fitness of their stars.
Tottenham will be particularly vulnerable in defense, as both of their primary center-backs are unavailable. Cristian Romero, who withdrew from the Argentina squad due to injury, will miss the trip to the Etihad Stadium. Micky van de Ven, who sustained a hamstring injury in the League Cup match against Manchester City, is not expected to return until mid-December. This leaves Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou with a severely depleted defensive line.
In addition to these two central defenders, Timo Werner’s availability remains uncertain due to a knock that forced him to miss the loss to Ipswich Town. Midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur is definitely out, as he continues to serve a ban following an incident involving a racial slur against Son Heung-min. Mikey Moore, a 17-year-old player, will only be assessed hours before kick-off after being sidelined by a virus. Furthermore, Richarlison, another attacking option, is not expected to return until early 2025 due to injury, and Wilson Odobert is out for a longer period after undergoing hamstring surgery. These injuries severely limit the squad at Postecoglou’s disposal.
On the other hand, Manchester City’s injury situation is slightly more unclear, with a number of players doubtful for the game. Mateo Kovacic is confirmed to be unavailable after picking up an injury during international duty with Croatia, and Ruben Dias is also out following a muscle issue. The situation with midfielder Rodri is more serious, as he is expected to miss the remainder of the season due to injury. Oscar Bobb is recovering from a fractured leg and won’t return until December. In addition to these confirmed absences, Pep Guardiola faces uncertainty regarding the fitness of several other players, with up to seven more being doubts for the match.
John Stones, Manuel Akanji, and Nathan Ake have all returned to training this week, but Guardiola has expressed doubt about their match fitness. While some of these players may make the squad, it remains unclear whether any will be able to play a full 90 minutes. Jack Grealish and Phil Foden, both key attacking players for City, withdrew from international duty due to injuries, and it is uncertain how close they are to returning to action. Additionally, Matheus Nunes missed international football with Portugal, which is believed to be due to fitness concerns, and there is also uncertainty surrounding Jeremy Doku, who picked up a fresh injury just before the international break.
With so many key players on the injury list, both teams are facing a serious challenge ahead of this high-stakes Premier League encounter. Spurs will be hoping to overcome their defensive crisis and recover from their recent setbacks, while Manchester City will be aiming to halt their four-match losing streak, which began with a 2-1 defeat to Spurs in the League Cup in October. Both teams will need to rely on their remaining fit players, with tactical decisions and squad depth set to play a crucial role in determining the outcome of this match. The injury crisis facing both sides will undoubtedly make for an unpredictable and closely contested clash.
