Nathan Ake suffers injury concern as Man City eliminate Bayern Munich from the Champions League

Nathan Ake appeared to pick up an injury as Manchester City eliminated Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday night.

The Dutchman has played a pivotal role for Pep Guardiola’s side since the World Cup and has missed just one match in the Premier League and Champions League following the season’s resumption in December.

But that record is under threat with Ake seeming to suffer an injury in the second half of City’s 1-1 draw with Bayern at the Allianz Arena, which saw the English champions progress to the semi-finals thanks to a 4-1 aggregate win.

Ake pulled up in the 65th minute before he went to ground holding his hamstring. The former Bournemouth man instantly signalled to the bench to indicate that he couldn’t continue, with Aymeric Laporte replacing him immediately. Ake then was seen applying ice to back of his leg on the bench.

A hamstring injury would be a huge concern, and a problem in that area tends to rule players out for a period of around six weeks. Should that be the case, it would mean Ake’s season could be all but over and he might miss the Champions League semi-final double header against Real Madrid next month, as well as the Premier League run-in, including the potentially title-deciding clash with Arsenal next week.

It would also be a big worry for Pep Guardiola with Ake playing a specific role in the City team as he tucks inside from left-back when the team have the ball. The decision to allow Joao Cancelo to leave on loan in January was also based around Ake’s suitability for Guardiola’s tactical model, which has seen John Stones advance into midfield when in possession. Laporte, who has struggled for minutes in recent months, is the likely replacement for Ake in the side.