Pep Guardiola confirms when he expects injured Jack Grealish & Jeremy Doku to return for Man City

Pep Guardiola has revealed he does not expect Jeremy Doku to return until after the November international break.

The winger, along with team-mate Jack Grealish, played against Wolverhampton Wanderers last week, but both were absent for the home Champions League match against Sparta Prague three days later.

Guardiola confirmed on Friday that neither will be available for the clash against Southampton this weekend and he was asked whether he expects either to be back before the international break.

“Jack, I hope so yes. But Jeremy I don’t think so,” the Catalan replied before confirming that Doku suffered his injury in the Wolves game, while Grealish’s niggle came in training.

But Doku’s absence will be a big blow across the next five matches. City follow up Saturday’s game against Southampton with four away outings, starting with Wednesday’s Carabao Cup tie at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Then it’s away to Bournemouth and Brighton & Hove Albion in the league, with a trip to Sporting Lisbon sandwiched in between, prior to the final international break of 2024.

With Oscar Bobb also out, it means Savinho is currently the only fit winger in the squad, although Bernardo Silva, Phil Foden and Matheus Nunes can play in those roles. Grealish could also be available from next week onwards, with Guardiola revealing on Wednesday that the former Aston Villa star would be out for around ‘seven to ten days’.

The double injury blow is compounded by the absences of Kyle Walker and Kevin De Bruyne, both of whom will miss the Southampton game. Guardiola confirmed on Friday that he doesn’t know when De Bruyne will return, despite the Belgian being back in training. Rodri and Bobb are the only long-term injuries, bringing City’s total number of injuries up to six.