Manchester City faces a significant setback as defender Nathan Aké suffered a potentially serious injury while playing for the Netherlands in their Nations League match against Germany. During the game on Tuesday, Aké appeared to pull up with a hamstring issue and was visibly in pain, leading to his being stretchered off the field. The emotional response from Aké as he was carried off indicates the gravity of the situation.
This injury comes at a particularly challenging time for Manchester City, as they are set to enter a hectic period following the international break. The Premier League champions have a demanding schedule ahead, with matches against Brentford, Inter Milan, Arsenal, Watford, and Newcastle before the end of the month.
Aké's condition will be assessed through tests to determine the severity of the injury. His absence would be a significant blow for City, given his importance to the team's defense. The club and fans will be anxiously awaiting the results of these tests to understand how long the defender might be sidelined.
Despite Aké's injury, the Netherlands managed to secure a 2-2 draw with Germany, though their recent defensive struggles are apparent, having conceded at least two goals in each of their last three matches. Manchester City, meanwhile, will resume their Premier League campaign on Saturday with a home game against Brentford, where the team will hope for better news regarding Aké's injury status.
Ake has only made two substitute appearances for Man City this term, coming off the bench against Manchester United in the Community Shield and against West Ham United last time out.
However, the versatile Dutchman remains a key player after featuring in 29 Premier League games last term, and Guardiola could have had plans for him ahead of the Arsenal game given his knack for always springing up surprises in his line-ups for some important games.
Being unable to have Ake as an option for selection would be a blow for Man City, and the Gunners could benefit from facing a weakened squad at the Etihad.
Arsenal will hope for some miracles as they could with the services of Odegaard and the injured Mikel Merino against the current Premier League leaders.
The Norwegian midfielder was pictured on crutches this morning after twisting his ankle on Monday night against Austria, while Merino still has around four weeks before returning to full fitness.
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