Manchester City winger Savinho was taken off the field on a stretcher due to an ankle injury during their match against Tottenham. Following this incident, manager Pep Guardiola expressed concern over the increasing number of injuries within his squad, describing the situation as an “emergency.” He indicated that several players might not be available for the upcoming match against Bournemouth after experiencing injuries in Wednesday’s 2-1 setback in the EFL Cup.

Savinho’s injury was a significant blow, particularly as Manuel Akanji also sustained a calf injury during warm-ups. Post-match, Guardiola noted that he could only field 13 fit players, considering long-term absences from Rodri and Oscar Bobb, along with worries about Kevin de Bruyne, Kyle Walker, Jeremy Doku, Jack Grealish, Akanji, and Josko Gvardiol. While he refrained from specifying who might return for the Bournemouth game on Saturday, he did clarify that Savinho’s injury was not a fracture.

Following their match against Bournemouth, City will face Sporting in Portugal for the Champions League and later travel to Brighton. Guardiola acknowledged that many players are competing through discomfort: “Almost all of the players play with pain,” he stated, emphasizing the necessity of coping with physical strain in modern football.

He drew a parallel to tennis star Rafael Nadal, who has famously played through pain throughout his career. “Rafa played all of his career with pain,” Guardiola remarked, highlighting the physical demands faced by athletes across sports. In light of their injury crisis, Guardiola is also looking to academy players for support: “We are using them because we are in an emergency in certain positions.”

Notably sidelined is playmaker De Bruyne, who has been out with a thigh injury sustained over six weeks ago against Inter Milan. Recent updates suggest that De Bruyne is making progress in recovery; Guardiola reported improvement in his condition.

Reflecting on Manchester City’s first defeat since the FA Cup final against Tottenham, Guardiola noted that his team had celebrated their Premier League title win just before facing Manchester United and acknowledged it may have affected their performance. He later clarified remarks made about being “hungover” from celebrations were intended humorously.

Overall, Guardiola remains optimistic about his squad’s capabilities despite current challenges and is focused on navigating through this difficult period as they prepare for upcoming matches.