Manchester City have been hit by another injury setback as midfielder Mateo Kovacic is set for another spell on the sidelines due to an ankle problem.
The Croatian international has not made a start for Pep Guardiola’s side this season after undergoing Achilles surgery during the summer.
Although he made a return to the matchday squad against Burnley in September, his only appearances so far have been brief cameos against Everton and Villarreal.
Kovacic also featured for Croatia in the recent international break, playing a little over an hour against Gibraltar.
His anticipated first start of the season, which was expected to come in midweek against Swansea City, never materialized.
Guardiola confirmed after Sunday’s Premier League victory over Bournemouth that the 31-year-old will be sidelined for a longer period.
“He will be out for a while,” said the City boss (via Manchester Evening News). “He still has a problem with the ankle, a little calcification still there. We’ll wait on him for the last part of the season.”
Aside from Kovacic, City have no new fitness issues. Rodri made his return as a late substitute against Bournemouth, while Omar Marmoush, Rayan Ait-Nouri, and Abdukodir Khusanov also featured in the recent win over Swansea.
Khusanov was not included in the squad for the Bournemouth clash, but his omission, along with Oscar Bobb’s, was purely a tactical decision rather than injury-related.
Both players are expected to be back in contention for the upcoming Champions League fixture against Dortmund, where Guardiola can name 12 substitutes, compared to nine in the Premier League.
