Manchester City's Omar Marmoush is set to miss the highly anticipated Manchester derby against Manchester United after sustaining a knee injury while on international duty with Egypt. The injury occurred early in Egypt's World Cup qualifying match against Burkina Faso on Tuesday.
Marmoush suffered the injury in the fourth minute following a robust challenge and was subsequently withdrawn from the game after attempting to continue. The Egyptian Football Association released a statement confirming that Marmoush had suffered a bruised knee ligament and would undergo further examination upon his return to Cairo. Initial scan results indicate that he will be unavailable for the Manchester derby on Sunday. He has returned to Manchester for further assessment and to begin his rehabilitation. Manchester City FC also released a statement confirming the injury.
The loss of Marmoush is a blow for Manchester City, as he has featured in all three of their Premier League fixtures this season. He came on as a substitute in the 4-0 victory against Wolves and started in the defeats to Tottenham Hotspur and Brighton & Hove Albion. Since joining City in January, Marmoush has made 28 appearances and scored eight goals.
With Marmoush sidelined, manager Pep Guardiola will need to make at least one change to his attacking lineup. Guardiola is already facing injury concerns with Rayan Cherki, who is sidelined for two months, and Savinho, who is recovering from a pre-season injury. Phil Foden was also not fully fit for the Brighton match.
City's injury woes extend to the defense, with Josko Gvardiol, Rico Lewis, and John Stones all doubtful, and Abdukodir Khusanov sidelined with a calf issue. Additionally, Manuel Akanji and Ederson departed from City earlier this month. However, the arrival of Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma could mean several derby debutants this weekend. Erling Haaland, however, had a productive time with Norway, scoring five goals against Moldova.
Guardiola is expected to provide further updates on the injury situation during his pre-match press conference on Friday.
