sport news THE NOTEBOOK: Two Man City stars are playing through the pain barrier, Rodri's ... trends now
Manchester City’s injury situation might be looking a bit uncertain ahead of the weekend – but Pep Guardiola does have two stars who are battling on regardless.
Eagle-eyed supporters may have noticed that both Ruben Dias and Phil Foden have been wearing bandages over their hands in recent weeks.
And Notebook has been told that the pair have suffered fractures in their hands and are continuing to play through the pain as City attempt to create history in the Premier League.
Dias is thought to have sustained his problem back in January when the FA Cup holders snatched a fourth-round victory in the dying moments at Tottenham.
Dias was in amongst it, challenging Guglielmo Vicario from the corner that Nathan Ake eventually stabbed home, and then heavily involved in the celebrations afterwards.
Ruben Dias (left) and Phil Foden (centre) are both playing with bandages on their hands after suffering fractures this season
Foden is believed to have done his shortly after and while Dias was benched for City’s next game, both of them have remained available throughout. Some had speculated that the strapping was perhaps a superstition, with City no strangers to those over the Guardiola years.
Guardiola’s facing the media at 12:30pm on Friday to preview that title clash with Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium and the bad luck on the injury front brought to mind a briefing he did back in 2017.
The subject was John Stones, and a knock the central defender took while on international duty – just as in this one – and Guardiola’s withering put down of England friendlies lived long in the memory. Gareth Southgate is usually very welcome at the City Football Academy but might have to buzz through twice the next time he turns up.
City set to strengthen medical departmentCity are actually looking to strengthen their medical department at the moment, with recruiters on the hunt for a new physical performance lead.
There are certainly plenty in the building who are requiring fitness top ups at the business end of the campaign – including Kevin De Bruyne and Jack Grealish, who remained in Manchester over the international break.
De Bruyne’s rehabilitation from hamstring surgery, and then subsequent managing of his load, has largely seemed successful, with the player himself taking a keen interest in exactly how hard to push his body. City are hopeful that he will be available for Arsenal alongside Grealish.
Man City are trying to bolster their medical department, and they want to get Kevin De Bruyne back into prime condition after an injury-hit campaign
Jack Grealish is another player they want back to full fitness after recent injury setbacks
Away from injuries for a minute – hoorah – and moving swiftly on to… suspensions. Rodri’s record in particular. He’s been walking a tightrope for months after a seventh booking of the season on January 13 at Newcastle.
The Spaniard was scathing about the standard of officiating after that last-gasp victory at St James’ Park (incidentally De Bruyne’s comeback). ‘This season I have seven yellow cards with two or three tackles, the other are for I don't know what, but it is what it is,’ he told us that day. Spoiler: the others were largely for dissent.
He was two bookings away
