Marmoush sidelined after Egypt duty

The Egyptian forward, who joined City this summer and has made a bright start to life at the Etihad, picked up a knock while representing Egypt in their World Cup qualifying campaign. Club medical staff confirmed he will not recover in time for the clash with Manchester United at Old Trafford this weekend.

Marmoush had quickly become a useful option in Pep Guardiola’s frontline, offering pace and directness off the ball. His absence will force Guardiola to adjust his attacking setup, particularly with a tightly packed run of fixtures ahead in both the Premier League and Europe.

Guardiola’s attacking headache

With Marmoush sidelined, City are expected to rely more heavily on their established forwards. Erling Haaland remains the focal point, but Guardiola may look to rotate with Phil Foden, Julián Álvarez, or Jack Grealish to balance the attack.

The Manchester derby is traditionally one of the most high-profile fixtures in the English football calendar, with both sides chasing early momentum in the title race. City, the reigning champions, were hoping for a full squad to take on Erik ten Hag’s resurgent United.

Egypt’s perspective

Marmoush’s injury will also concern Egypt, who see him as a major part of their squad heading into the remainder of World Cup qualification. Further assessments will determine whether the forward faces a longer spell on the sidelines or if he will return shortly after the international break.

For now, Guardiola’s focus is on reshuffling his frontline ahead of Sunday’s derby, where City will be without one of their newest attacking weapons at a crucial moment.

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