Overview
- Pep Guardiola confirmed Doku has a leg injury and is expected to be sidelined for roughly two to three weeks, with a possible return at Sunderland on January 1.
- The Belgian winger will miss the Carabao Cup quarter-final against Brentford and Premier League fixtures against West Ham on December 20 and Nottingham Forest on December 27.
- Guardiola said Savinho is set for significant minutes and indicated he will mix in fringe and academy players to navigate the festive schedule.
- John Stones and Rodri are also unavailable for Brentford, and AFCON call-ups for Omar Marmoush and Rayan Ait-Nouri further reduce options.
- James Trafford will start in the cup tie and, according to Guardiola, will remain with Manchester City for the rest of the season rather than leaving in January.