The Manchester City squad will now welcome the international break, as it’s a chance to take stock and rest up following a tough past few weeks.
On Saturday, Manchester City slipped to their fourth consecutive defeat against Brighton, losing 2-1 at the Amex Stadium.
It is only the second time Pep Guardiola has lost four games in a row in his managerial career.
The Spaniard has plenty to consider over the international break, as he seeks to get City back on track and stop Liverpool from getting too far ahead in the Premier League.
As we know, City have been dealing with a number of injury problems lately. Pundit Gary Neville said he didn’t have sympathy for Manchester City regarding their injuries, but they have undeniably contributed to this poor run.
One man who hasn’t featured much in recent weeks is Jeremy Doku, with Guardiola dropping an injury update after Brighton.
Guardiola says Man City winger Jeremy Doku ‘doesn’t feel good’
Jeremy Doku has managed just five minutes of game time across City’s last three Premier League games, which came against Bournemouth.
Doku did not feature against Tottenham Hotspur in the Carabao Cup, which was the start of City’s current four-game losing streak. And he played for around 15 minutes against Sporting CP in the Champions League.
Speaking after the defeat to Brighton, Guardiola offered an injury update on Doku.
He said: “He has some muscular problems in his quadriceps. He doesn’t feel good, he cannot run at full speed. (After the international break?) When we arrive, we will make a test and we’ll make a selection and we’ll see how they feel.”
- Who is Jeremy Doku? Keep up to speed with Man City’s rapid winger
The warning signs were always there over Doku
Some City fans are a little frustrated over Doku, who is struggling with his fitness once again.
The £55 million Belgian winger is into his second season now at the Etihad Stadium and this is at least the third injury he has picked up.
As per Transfermarkt data, Doku missed 10 games last season through injury, and he was also described as ‘not fully fit’ for the Champions League game with Slovan Bratislava earlier this season. He did not make City’s squad as a result.
| Doku injuries at Man City (2023-present) | Doku injuries at Rennes (2020-2023) |
| Injuries – 2 | Injuries – 8 |
| Days missed – 36 | Days missed – 217 |
| Games missed – 10 | Games missed – 50 |
City fans should not be too surprised about Doku’s struggles to stay fit – because the warning signs were already there ahead of his move to the club.
At Rennes, Doku picked up at least eight injuries – five of which are recorded as muscular. He missed a total of 50 games for Rennes and Belgium.
It is a real shame that Doku struggles as much as he does to stay at peak fitness and is susceptible to injuries. Between his sketchy injury record and his inconsistent end product, Doku surely must be one of the most frustrating players on the books at City.
