ARSENAL EMBRACED GUARDIOLA’S THREE-WORD WARNING AS MAN CITY SCREWED BY ENGLAND BUT NOT PORTUGAL

Arsenal should be far happier with how the international break went than Manchester City, who will be asking England why they couldn’t act like Portugal.

Pep Guardiola gently warned his Manchester City players to “handle it wisely” when asked about their international break exertions, but Arsenal appear to have taken that message more seriously.

Their squad played a combined 1,142 minutes for their countries over the past week in comparison to the 1,749 minutes put together by Manchester City’s stars, while Arsenal had far more precautionary pull-outs and enter Sunday’s game with fewer injury issues.

Jakub Kiwior did play the most minutes of any player for either club but Mikel Arteta will likely be the happier of the two managers when assessing the post-break fitness of his squad.

England were put to shame ever so slightly in terms of squad management and rotation by Portugal and Belgium, by the way.

Manchester City players with reported injury concerns

John Stones (England)

Played 90 minutes at centre-half in a 1-0 defeat to Brazil, then 10 in a 2-2 draw against Belgium before being substituted with an ankle injury.

“We measure everything and the first game for him wasn’t a game that was a high level in terms of the intensity. We have done exactly what Holland did with Virgil van Dijk. What Norway did with Erling Haaland and Martin Odegaard starting them again. Holland started Ake again. It only ever seems to fall on us when there is a question around that” – Gareth Southgate, England manager.

Manuel Akanji (Switzerland)

Played 90 minutes at centre-half in a 0-0 draw against Denmark before withdrawing from the squad ahead of a 1-0 win over the Republic of Ireland due to a foot injury

Matheus Nunes (Portugal)

Played 63 minutes in midfield and scored in a 5-2 win over Sweden before withdrawing from the squad ahead of a 2-0 defeat to Slovenia due to a foot injury – so might have missed Cristiano Ronaldo throwing a strop after being told he was past his peak.

Kyle Walker (England)

Played 20 minutes at right-back against Brazil before being substituted with a hamstring injury

‘Kyle Walker is a serious doubt for Manchester City’s title clash with Arsenal as the Premier League champions count the cost of the international break. The City captain was forced off with a hamstring problem during the 1-0 friendly defeat against Brazil at Wembley – before John Stones hobbled out of the draw with Belgium after sustaining an ankle injury. Both are set for scans’ – Jack Gaughan and Sami Mokbel, Daily Mail.

Ederson (Brazil)

Withdrew from the Brazil squad due to a thigh injury.

“He is getting better, hopefully he’ll be ready after the international break. He’ll have two weeks off then, he’ll recover, we’ll see how he feels” – Pep Guardiola, Manchester City manager.

Kevin de Bruyne (Belgium)

Omitted from the Belgium squad due to a groin injury.

“We can’t take a risk now and certainly not with Kevin. It is better to give him time to recover well at City and then have him ready for the European Championship. I don’t know if there is a connection to his hamstring injury. Yesterday I spoke to the doctor and Kevin and we decided the risk is too great. It is our responsibility to take into account the player but also the player’s club” – Domenico Tedesco, Belgium manager.

Jack Grealish (England)

Omitted from the England squad due to a groin injury.

Jack Grealish and Pep Guardiola after a win.

Manchester City players with no reported injury concerns

Nathan Ake (Netherlands)

Played 90 minutes at left-back in a 4-0 win over Scotland and 90 at centre-half in a 2-1 defeat to Germany.

Phil Foden (England)

Played 90 minutes on the right wing in a 1-0 defeat to Brazil and 90 on the left wing in a 2-2 draw against Belgium.

Josko Gvardiol (Croatia)

Played 90 minutes at centre-half in a 0-0 draw against Tunisia and 60 at left-back in a 4-2 win over Egypt.

Erling Haaland (Norway)

Played 75 minutes as a striker in a 2-1 defeat to Czechia and 62 as a striker in a 1-1 draw against Slovakia, having a penalty saved by Marek Rodak in the latter.

Oscar Bobb (Norway)

Played 75 minutes on the right wing and scored in a 2-1 defeat to Czechia, and 62 on the right wing in a 1-1 draw against Slovakia.

Jeremy Doku (Belgium)

Played 45 minutes on the left wing in a 0-0 draw against the Republic of Ireland and 90 on the left wing in a 2-2 draw against England.

Mateo Kovacic (Croatia)

Played 69 minutes in midfield in a 0-0 draw against Tunisia and 45 as a second-half substitute in a 4-2 win over Egypt.

Ruben Dias (Portugal)

Played 90 minutes at centre-half in a 5-2 win over Sweden, before being given permission to leave the Portugal camp ahead of the game with Slovenia.

“It’s important to work on different concepts, especially because Slovenia has a very similar structure [to Sweden], also with two strikers, so the players who leave are all taken care of. There are another eight players who will arrive at a high level for the second game, with hunger and a lot of energy, I hope” – Roberto Martinez, Belgium manager.

Bernardo Silva (Portugal)

Played 90 minutes on the right wing in a 5-2 win over Sweden, assisting a Matheus Nunes goal, before being given permission to leave the Portugal camp ahead of the game with Slovenia.

Julian Alvarez (Argentina)

Played 90 minutes as a striker in a 3-1 win over Costa Rica after being an unused substitute for a 3-0 win over El Salvador.

Rodri (Spain)

Played 90 minutes in midfield and scored twice in a 3-3 draw against Brazil after being an unused substitute for a 1-0 defeat to Colombia.

Rico Lewis (England/England U21s)

Played 83 minutes at right-back in a 5-1 win over Azerbaijan U21s before being an unused substitute for a 2-2 draw against Belgium.

Rico Lewis shakes hands with Gareth Southgate.

Arsenal players with reported injury concerns

Gabriel Magalhaes (Brazil)

Withdrew from the Brazil squad with an Achilles injury.

‘It is thought that his withdrawal was just precautionary. The club were in close dialogue with the Brazil camp before withdrawing him’ – Football.London.

Takehiro Tomiyasu (Japan)

Omitted from the Japan squad due to a calf injury.

Thomas Partey (Ghana)

Withdrew from selection for the Ghana squad as he continues his recovery from a hamstring injury, having played 26 minutes for Arsenal since his return.

‘Asked to be excused from the game to gain full fitness following recent injuries’ – Ghana statement.

Bukayo Saka (England)

Withdrew from the England squad with a muscle injury

‘Bukayo Saka has left the England camp and returned to his club for continued rehabilitation. The Arsenal forward reported to St George’s Park with an injury and has been unable to participate in training” – England statement.

Gabriel Jesus (Brazil)

Omitted from the Brazil squad as he continues his recovery from a knee injury, having played 83 minutes for Arsenal since his return.

Gabriel Martinelli (Brazil)

Withdrew from the Brazil squad due to a foot injury.

“For now, Arsenal are keeping very closed, sort of tight ranks, over what’s going on with Martinelli. The word we got initially after the injury, even when he was on crutches, was that ‘we don’t think it’s too bad, it’s just precautionary’. But you have to think he’s a doubt” – Charles Watts, Arsenal journalist.

Bukayo Saka alongside Gabriel Martinelli.

Arsenal players with no reported injury concerns

Jakub Kiwior (Poland)

Played 90 minutes at centre-half in a 5-1 win over Estonia and 120 in a 0-0 draw against Wales (5-4 win on penalties).

Declan Rice (England)

Played 90 minutes in midfield in a 1-0 defeat to Brazil and 90 in midfield in a 2-2 draw against Belgium.

Martin Odegaard (Norway)

Played 86 minutes in midfield in a 2-1 defeat to Czechia and 79 in midfield in a 1-1 draw against Slovakia.

Kai Havertz (Germany)

Played 80 minutes as a centre-forward and scored in a 2-0 win over France, then 73 as a centre-forward in a 2-1 win over Netherlands.

Leandro Trossard (Belgium)

Played 45 minutes on the left wing in a 0-0 draw against the Republic of Ireland and 60 on the right wing in a 2-2 draw against England.

Oleksandr Zinchenko (Ukraine)

Played 76 minutes in midfield in a 2-1 win over Bosnia and 26 as a second-half substitute in a 2-1 win over Iceland.

Jorginho (Italy)

Played 25 minutes in a 2-1 win over Venezuela, assisting a Mateo Retegui goal, before playing 67 in midfield in a 2-0 win over Ecuador.

William Saliba (France)

Played 90 minutes at centre-half in a 3-2 win over Chile after being an unused substitute in a 2-0 defeat to Germany, having been told by Didier Deschamps that he isn’t actually all that.

David Raya (Spain)

Played 45 before being substituted at half-time in a 1-0 defeat to Colombia, before being an unused substitute in a 3-3 draw against Brazil.

Benjamin White (England)

Played many minutes of Uno.

2024-03-29T08:11:03Z dg43tfdfdgfd