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Man City’s £30m signing out of derby against United, as pressure mounts on Pep Guardiola

Originally posted on HITC | By Dan Coombs | Last updated Sep 2, 2025 3:34 PM ET

Manchester United’s first game back after the international break will be a short trip across town to take on Manchester City.

Clubs are now on hold for a bit due to the international break, but United have a big fixture awaiting them when the Premier League schedule resumes.

And it could be an important one for Ruben Amorim and his team, who are hoping to build some momentum early in the campaign.

United head into the game aiming to make a statement against City, and Pep Guardiola’s side already has injury concerns ahead of the match. One of their new signings has been ruled out.

Rayan Cherki ruled out for two months

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Manchester City have been hit with a setback as Rayan Cherki will be out of action for around two months.

The £30 million signing from Lyon is dealing with a quadriceps tear, according to BBC Sport.

Cherki had previously spoken about wanting to get one back against Manchester United after losing a 5-4 thriller at Old Trafford with Lyon in the Europa League last season.

Speaking after his move to City, he said: “I am waiting for the game [to] kill them.”

Missing out on the first derby of the campaign will be tough for him, although United supporters might see some humour in it.

Pep Guardiola under pressure

While most of the headlines have focused on Manchester United, Manchester City’s rough start to the season has gone largely unnoticed.

Despite only having one win, United sit above the Citizens in the table after three matches.

City have dropped back-to-back games against Tottenham and Brighton, leaving them with just three points so far.

Guardiola’s side will be expected to get a result at home and move ahead of United. The pressure is on them to deliver in front of their own fans.

A draw would be a decent result for the Red Devils, while a win would leave the Spanish manager facing even more questions – especially with Cherki sidelined for the fixture.

This article first appeared on HITC and was syndicated with permission.

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