Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has confirmed that Jeremy Doku will miss Wednesday's Champions League crunch match with Club Brugge due to injury.
The 22-year-old has not featured in each of the Citizens' last two fixtures due to the issue, sitting out of his side's capitulation at Paris Saint-Germain on matchday seven of the League Phase.
Doku was also unavailable for the Premier League battle with Chelsea at the Etihad on Saturday evening, when Man City battled back from a goal down to win 3-1.
The Belgian had been among the attacking antics for Guardiola's men prior to a fitness issue, bagging six goal contributions across games against Salford City and Ipswich Town.
Not always a starter for the Premier League champions since his switch from Rennes in August 2023, Doku has netted on 12 occasions in 65 appearances.
© Imago
"A while" - Guardiola provides concerning Doku update
Despite failing to truly cement a spot in Guardiola's preferred XI just yet, Doku is undoubtedly a good attacking option for Man City, who are at risk of being knocked out of the Champions League.
Following last week's sobering defeat in Paris, the Citizens are languishing down in 25th spot in the League Phase rankings, two points behind Stuttgart in the lowest of the playoff spots.
Therefore, Man City require three points against Club Brugge on Wednesday night to have any chance of reaching the knockout stages, although they will have to win the contest without the services of Doku
Asked how long the winger will be sidelined for on the weekend, Guardiola stated: "A while. I don't know how much. But a while. He will not be ready for Wednesday for sure, I don't think. For Arsenal, we'll see."
As alluded to by the Spaniard, Doku is also likely to miss Man City all-important meeting with Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.
© Imago
Registration restrictions add to Man City selection problems
After a woeful start to the 2024-25 campaign, Man City have acted decisively during the January transfer window, signing three first-team players.
However, Omar Marmoush, Vitor Reis and Abdukodir Khusanov are all ineligible to feature for the Citizens in the Champions League until the knockout stages, should they progress into the playoff round.
The absences of Reis and Khusanov will leave Guardiola particularly light at centre-back, although John Stones is back in the senior fold following a foot injury.
Carter White
