Manchester City ‘internally evaluating’ whether to include attacking star against Bournemouth today

Manchester City are continuing to make last-minute decisions when it comes to their available matchday squad for the clash against Bournemouth on Saturday afternoon.

The Premier League champions’ squad is currently engulfed in an injury crisis with up to eight first-team players suffering from problems ranging in severity, with both Rodri and Oscar Bobb remaining ruled out for the longer-term.

Those issues were made worse on Wednesday night when, after Manuel Akanji had withdrawn from the starting line-up with a groin issue, Savinho was stretchered off and in tears during the second-half of an eventual 2-1 defeat to Tottenham in the Carabao Cup fourth round.

Pep Guardiola said after the game, “He had a knock in the 18-yard box, potential penalty, and we’ll see tomorrow what happened… We have to see if it just a knock or something else, because it was on the bone. Hopefully it’s nothing dangerous, but we’ll see tomorrow.”

Sources indicated shortly after the full-time whistle that the problem sustained by Savinho was nothing more than “just a scare”, with that indication now having been proven correct following further testing and assessment on the blow to his ankle.

According to the information of PL Brasil journalist Rômulo Giacomin, Savinho will no longer need seven days in order to recover from his sprained right ankle sustained against Tottenham, despite that being the original timeframe for a return.

It is explained that Manchester City are currently internally evaluating whether to include the Brazilian in the game against Bournemouth on Saturday afternoon or not, with the player expected to start should he be deemed available to be included at all.

Reports from GE Globo have also stated that Manchester City have since informed national team doctor Rodrigo Lasmar that tests carried out on the winger ‘do not indicate injury’ in his right ankle, with the player taken off against Tottenham with ‘nothing more than a scare’.

Manager Pep Guardiola will be hoping to have the 20-year-old back and available for selection as soon as possible, both for the reason that his squad are currently hampered by injuries, but also given the player’s exceptional start to life in England.

Speaking during his pre-match press conference ahead of the meeting with Bournemouth, the Manchester City manager said of Savinho, “He’s playing really good, so aggressive, so young, he’ll improve. But the impact has been really, really good!”

Further highlighting the positive feeling around the problem sustained in North London, Pep Guardiola said of the injury, “It was a knock, a strong one, but it’s not fractured,” when addressing the media this week.

Manchester City have the opportunity to remain top of the Premier League table with a win on Saturday afternoon, heading into the final week of action before the last international break of the calendar year.