Football

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has expressed concerns over his team's mounting injury crisis ahead of their Champions League clash against Sporting Lisbon on Tuesday. The English champions have suffered consecutive defeats to Tottenham and Bournemouth, ending their 11-month unbeaten run in the Premier League.Guardiola's squad has been depleted by injuries to key players, including Ballon d'Or winner Rodri, who is out for the remainder of the season with a knee injury. Oscar Bobb, Ruben Dias, Jack Grealish, and John Stones are also sidelined.Kevin De Bruyne could make his first appearance in seven weeks but is unlikely to start, while Kyle Walker, Nathan Ake, Manuel Akanji, Jeremy Doku, and Savinho are also not fully fit."You know the situation with Rodri, nominated the best player in the world," Guardiola said at his pre-match press conference. "We know we will struggle, and we have to accept that, and it is fine.""The games will be difficult; in previous seasons it was smooth. Personal reasons, injuries, we won six Premier Leagues in seven years. Things change, we have to accept that."Guardiola will face one of his future rivals as Sporting boss Ruben Amorim takes charge of the Portuguese champions for the penultimate time before beginning his role as Manchester United manager.The sides last met in the last 16 of the 2021/22 Champions League when City romped to a 5-0 victory in Lisbon and on aggregate."They have changed players but have the same manager and the same mentality," added Guardiola on the challenge Sporting provide. "Winning the league for the first time in 20 years and then doing it again last season shows what a good job he has done."Bernardo Silva scored twice in City's 5-0 win over Sporting two years ago on his return to Lisbon, where he began his career at Benfica. He urged City not to make excuses despite their injury woes."With a full squad, we are stronger, there's no denying that. We have a lot of unbelievable players missing," said Silva. "We have not been able to count on Kevin for six weeks. Rodri is out for the season and other players out shorter times. But we never find excuses. This club was never about that."Both sides are unbeaten in the new Champions League format with seven points from their opening three matches.

Manchester City's injury crisis has reached alarming proportions after their League Cup defeat to Tottenham Hotspur, with Savinho and Manuel Akanji joining a growing list of sidelined players. The latest setbacks leave Pep Guardiola with a mere 13 fit players ahead of a crucial Premier League clash with Bournemouth on Saturday.Savinho was stretchered off in the 62nd minute with a suspected ankle injury, while Akanji was ruled out just before kickoff due to a muscular issue. This adds to the already lengthy list of absentees, including Kevin De Bruyne, Rodri, Kyle Walker, Oscar Bobb, Jeremy Doku, and Jack Grealish.Guardiola expressed his concern over the physical toll the season has taken on his squad. "We have 13 players (available) so we are in real difficulty," he said. "The guys that play, they finish most of them with problems and we'll see how they recover. I think we are in trouble, because in nine years we've never been in the situation with so many injuries."Despite their precarious position, City remain narrowly ahead of Liverpool in the Premier League title race. However, the absence of so many key players raises concerns about their ability to maintain their title defense. The upcoming away clash with Bournemouth will be a stern test for Guardiola's ability to rally a depleted side and manage fitness levels.For Guardiola, who has enjoyed nine seasons with relatively few long-term injuries, this situation is unprecedented. "In nine years, we've never been in this situation with so many injuries," he admitted.City's injury crisis is a major blow to their hopes of winning multiple trophies this season. With so many players unavailable, Guardiola will have to rely heavily on his remaining squad members and hope that they can stay fit and healthy.

Juventus' injury woes continue to mount as Teun Koopmeiners has been diagnosed with a fractured rib, adding to the growing list of absentees for coach Thiago Motta.The Netherlands midfielder, who joined Juventus from Atalanta in August, was forced off at half-time during Sunday's 1-1 draw with Cagliari. Subsequent tests revealed a "slightly dislocated fracture of the second right anterior rib."The club has not provided a specific timeline for Koopmeiners' return, stating that his recovery will be "evaluated according to his symptoms." However, reports suggest he could be sidelined for up to four weeks.This latest setback is a significant blow for Juventus, who are already without key defender Gleison Bremer due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury that could keep him out for the rest of the season.Wingers Nicolas Gonzalez and Timothy Weah, as well as striker Arkadiusz Milik, are also currently on the treatment table. Milik has been struggling with persistent left knee problems.Juventus' injury crisis comes at a crucial time, with the team sitting third in Serie A, three points behind leaders Napoli. They face a tough test next against Lazio, who are level on points with them.The absence of Koopmeiners and other key players will undoubtedly test Motta's squad depth and tactical flexibility. The Italian coach will need to find solutions to compensate for the loss of his influential midfield presence.Juventus will be hoping that Koopmeiners and their other injured players can make swift recoveries and return to action as soon as possible. However, the club's injury woes serve as a reminder of the challenges they face in maintaining their title challenge and competing on multiple fronts this season.

AC Milan and Juventus played out a disappointing 0-0 draw in Serie A on Saturday, extending their recent struggles. The result leaves Juventus looking over their shoulders in the race for Champions League qualification, while Milan's hopes of a top-four finish are fading.Juventus, who have won just two of their last 13 league matches, were the more dominant side in Turin but failed to find a breakthrough. Milan, depleted by injuries and suspensions, defended resolutely and had their chances on the counterattack.The Bianconeri had the best chance of the first half when Dušan Vlahović's free kick was brilliantly saved by Marco Sportiello. Sportiello was again in inspired form after the break, making a double save to deny Filip Kostić and Danilo.Milan also had their moments, with Rafael Leão and Olivier Giroud both going close. However, the Rossoneri were unable to find the winning goal and had to settle for a point.The draw leaves Juventus third in the table, 11 points above Atalanta but with two games in hand. Milan remain fifth, five points behind Juventus. The top five teams in Serie A qualify for next season's Champions League.In other Serie A action, Lazio moved into sixth place with a 1-0 win over Hellas Verona. Mattia Zaccagni scored the only goal of the game in the 72nd minute.Lecce took another step towards safety with a 1-1 draw at home to Monza. Nikola Krstović thought he had won it for Lecce in stoppage time, but Matteo Pessina equalized from the spot after a handball by Lorenzo Venuti.