Guardiola Delivers Crushing Blow on Cherki's Injury Status
Pep Guardiola has announced that Manchester City will be missing Rayan Cherki for a considerable period following the new acquisition's quadriceps muscle injury.
Manchester City's troubles deepened on Sunday. The Citizens not only lost their early advantage in a 2–1 loss to Brighton, but they also received devastating news regarding an injury setback. Cherki, who was absent from the match alongside Phil Foden, will remain in the treatment room for an extended period.
"[Cherki's] sidelined for two months. Seven to eight weeks," Guardiola disclosed following the game.
The 22-year-old was compelled to pull out of the France squad, leading Didier Deschamps to summon Liverpool striker Hugo Ekitiké as his replacement. Cherki will be unavailable for Les Bleus' 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifying encounters against Ukraine and Iceland, plus their October fixtures versus Azerbaijan and Iceland.
The ex-Lyon talent will be unavailable for numerous important matches for Manchester City too, including the Manchester derby and a visit to the Emirates. Guardiola will also be forced to manage without Cherki for the club's initial Champions League encounters against Napoli, Monaco and potentially Villarreal.
Cherki made an impressive start to his career in sky blue, finding the net in his Premier League bow against Wolves. The French player then earned selection against Tottenham Hotspur, but was substituted in the 54th minute during what became a disappointing 2–0 loss for Manchester City.
It will be two months until Cherki has an opportunity to represent his new club once more, leaving Guardiola without one of his marquee summer acquisitions. The France international completed his transfer to Manchester in a transaction valued at £30.9 million ($41.7 million).
This development arrives just one day before the transfer window shuts, though the English club has been concentrating on finalizing the acquisition of Gianluigi Donnarumma instead of pursuing another offensive addition.