Manchester City’s injury woes have worsened after it emerged that Mateo Kovacic could be out until October due to a persistent achilles injury.
The day after confirming that Rodri would not be fit to start City’s first three games of the Premier League campaign against Wolverhampton Wanderers, Tottenham Hotspur and Brighton & Hove Albion due to a groin issue, manager Pep Guardiola revealed that Kovacic’s injury, which was due to clear up before the start of the season, may take another two months to heal.
It means that Nico González, who fell out of favour towards the end of last season, may be handed a chance to prove himself again in the opening few matches of the season. The other alternative would be re-deploying Ilkay Gundogan or Tijjani Reijnders as a deep-lying midfielder, although both are better suited to playing box to box.
Injuries to Rodri and Kovacic could give González an opportunity to shine
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“We have three,” Guardiola said, reflecting on options for the No6 role. “Kova is injured until September or October, Rodri is coming back after six months and [we have] Nico. The others can play there but are more attacking, they like to be in the [opposition’s] box. Gundo can play there and Tijji can play there but when everybody is fit their position is more up front.”
Kovacic would have been the ideal short-term replacement for Rodri, who has still not recovered from the groin injury that he suffered in the Club World Cup defeat by Al-Hilal, so his absence is bad news for Guardiola.
González initially made a bright start to his City career after a £50million switch from Porto, with Guardiola labelling the 23-year-old Spaniard “Mini-Rodri” for his performance in the 4-0 hammering of Newcastle United in February, but he started one of the last five Premier League matches of the season and just once at the Club World Cup.
The only signing that City have made since returning from the tournament in the United States is James Trafford, the goalkeeper who rejoined the club in a £27million deal two years after he left for Burnley.
With Ederson out of contract next summer, Trafford, who rejected a move to Newcastle United, has a chance to become City’s first-choice goalkeeper this season and Guardiola has high hopes for the 22-year-old.
“We knew for a long time he will be one of the British keepers for ten years,” Guardiola said of Trafford, who kept 29 clean sheets to help Burnley gain promotion last summer. “He had an incredible season at Burnley and we had the chance with the buyback not to miss the opportunity to have him with us. We are really pleased and he will fight with the other ’keepers.”
Reijnders scored his first two goals for City as they rounded off their preparations for the new season with a 3-0 victory away to sister club Palermo.
After Erling Haaland had put Guardiola’s side ahead in the first half, Reijnders, one of ten half-time substitutes, swept the ball into the far corner to double the lead against the Serie B side and the £46.5million summer signing from AC Milan added a second after a slick passing move down the right.
The friendly between the two clubs, both of whom are part of the City Football Group, was organised to mark the 125th anniversary of Palermo’s formation.