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Rob DawsonCorrespondent
Manchester City’s injury problems have worsened and Fernandinho is expected to be out for up to six weeks.
The midfielder lasted just four minutes after coming in as a late substitute in Wednesday’s 3-1 Champions League win over Porto and Pep Guardiola, who is already without Kevin De Bruyne, Aymeric Laporte, Nathan Ake, Benjamin Mendy and Gabriel Jesus, is fearing a long period on the sidelines.
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“It’s bad news,” Guardiola said after the game. “It will be four to six weeks. With this number of games, we need people here, but it is what it is.”
Guardiola is hoping to welcome De Bruyne and Laporte to training on Thursday before Saturday’s trip to West Ham United.
Ake was left out of the win over Porto as a precaution, but Jesús and Mendy are ready for longer periods on the treatment table.
After facing West Ham, City have games against Marseille, Sheffield United, Olympiakos and Liverpool before the international break in November.
“[On Thursday] We will start with Kevin and Laporte’s training sessions but I don’t know how they will come back ”, added Guardiola.
“We get players back and lose others. In three days we are going to London and then to France to play against Marseille and then Sheffield. It is very demanding and we need all the players back.”
In the absence of Laporte and Ake, Guardiola paired Ruben Dias with Eric García against Porto.
Garcia has so far refused to sign a contract extension and is wanted by Barcelona, but the City manager has not given up hope of convincing the 19-year-old to stay.
“I know he wanted to leave, maybe we can seduce him to spread out with us,” Guardiola said.
“He is a guy who is very stable in many things and we are very happy to have him here.”
