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Blow for Pep Guardiola as Man City star leaves pitch in tears with serious muscle injury

Originally posted on Caught Offside | By Darren Looney | Last updated Sep 10, 2024 4:57 PM ET

Man City have been dealt an early season blow as their defender Nathan Ake has been stretchered off during the Netherlands’ Nations League clash against Germany with a suspected muscle injury.

The 29-year-old started the match for the Dutch but didn’t see the halftime whistle as the 29-year-old picked up an injury issue towards the end of the opening 45 minutes. The Man City star went down with a muscle issue and was in tears as he had to be stretchered off the pitch, reports the Express.

Ake tried to get back to his feet but was unable, which suggests the injury is a serious one, which was also expressed through the player’s body language.

The Netherlands international has barely featured for Man City so far this season but over the course of the 2024/25 campaign, it would be expected that the former Bournemouth star be used often by Guaardiola.

The defender featured 44 times for the Manchester club last season as the Dutch star’s versatility makes him a useful weapon with the Premier League champions playing so many matches across a campaign.

Going off the player’s body language it looks like Ake could be set for a long spell on the sidelines as the Dutch star follows Arsenal Martin Odegaard to the injury table.

The Gunners captain suffered an ankle injury during Norway’s Nations League win over Austria in Oslo on Monday night and is now a doubt for the North London derby this weekend.

Fans are often frustrated with the timing of the September international break given that the club season has just got underway and injuries like this will only increase their annoyance. Injuries such as these can have a big impact on a club’s season and it remains to be seen how Arsenal and Man City are affected.

This article first appeared on Caught Offside and was syndicated with permission.

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