Manchester City Dealt Major Blow As Rayan Cherki Ruled Out For Two Months

Manchester City will be without their new midfielder Rayan Cherki for the next eight weeks after he suffered a torn left quadricep during training. He is also out of France’s upcoming World Cup qualifiers.

WHAT HAPPENED?

Cherki, who joined City this summer from Lyon, picked up the injury in a training session and missed his team’s 2-1 defeat to Brighton on Sunday. City manager Pep Guardiola confirmed the 21-year-old will be sidelined for around two months. Cherki was also forced to withdraw from France’s national squad for September’s important qualifiers against Ukraine and Iceland. His spot went to Liverpool striker Hugo Ekitike, who has started the season in impressive form, scoring in all three Premier League matches he has played so far for Liverpool.

THE IMPACT ON CITY AND CHERKI

Manchester City are facing a tough spell, currently with three points form three matches in the Premier League, six points behind leaders Liverpool, after one win and two losses from three matches. Their latest defeat to Brighton showed several problems, with ex-City midfielder James Milner scoring from the spot and Brighton’s Brajan Gruda netting a late winner. Cherki was expected to play a key role in midfield this season after his transfer from Lyon, but this injury means City must look for options in his absence.

WHAT COMES NEXT?

Manchester City’s next match is against Manchester United in the Premier League. United are currently mid-table, one point ahead of City. Guardiola will hope to get the team back on track and close the gap on Liverpool. France, meanwhile, must tackle World Cup qualifiers against Ukraine, who sit second in their group, and Iceland, who are just one point behind them. For Cherki, recovery and rehabilitation will be his main focus as he targets a return before the end of October. Notably, Cherki scored his first goal in the Premier League on his debut for Manchester City, highlighting the potential impact of his absence during this critical period for the team according to reports.