February 21, (THEWILL) – Manchester City will be without Kevin De Bruyne and Aymeric Laporte for their upcoming match against RB Leipzig due to illness, as confirmed by manager Pep Guardiola.
The absence of the two players comes as a surprise as they have both played significant roles in the team’s upward trajectory and were on hand in City’s draw with Nottingham Forest last time out. The duo will remain at home along with the injured John Stones.
Guardiola explained that the reason for their absence was simply due to illness, and he is unsure whether they will recover in time for the weekend. Losing two starters poses real problems for Guardiola as he prepares to take his City side to Leipzig for what promises to be a tricky affair. Despite this setback, the manager remained optimistic about their chances.
City had been building momentum in recent weeks, including two victories over English Premier League leaders Arsenal, and the latest draw with Forest has not dampened Guardiola’s spirits. The manager was confident in his team’s ability to stay competitive, citing their resilience and the high standards they set at the Etihad.
Yet, he acknowledged that football can be unpredictable like the Forest draw. He said: “Sometimes that happens, I cannot have an answer on what happened for this type of situation. But today we trained and the team is there. That doesn’t mean we’re going to win or get results, but I have a good feeling. Honestly.”
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
