AliousManchester City manager Pep Guardiola remains tight-lipped about whether Kevin De Bruyne will start against Nottingham Forest in their midweek Premier League clash at the Etihad Stadium. The match, scheduled for Wednesday night with a 7:30 pm kick-off, offers Forest an opportunity to capitalize on City’s uncharacteristic poor run of form. Guardiola’s side is winless in seven games across all competitions and sits just one point ahead of the Reds in the table.
De Bruyne has not started a game since September due to a persistent pelvis issue, limiting him to substitute appearances in his last five outings as he works towards full match fitness. Addressing the Belgian midfielder’s progress in a pre-match press conference, Guardiola said: “He is closer (to full fitness) and (has been) even better in the last few days.”
Meanwhile, Guardiola ruled out a return for John Stones, who has been struggling with a foot injury. Stones has made just one appearance in City’s last six matches, and his absence continues to hinder Guardiola’s defensive options. “He’s not close, no,” Guardiola confirmed. “Still, he is injured – he has an injury to his feet. I don’t know (when he will be back), but I would say not next week.”
The City boss also addressed his recent decision to drop first-choice goalkeeper Ederson in favor of Stefan Ortega during Sunday’s 2-0 defeat to Liverpool. Guardiola suggested that Ortega could retain his place for the Forest game. “Eddy is the No. 1 and Stefan is the No. 2, but maybe Stefan will continue,” Guardiola said. “We will see in the next games. (Ederson reacted) really good. We know each other for eight or nine years.”
For Nottingham Forest, head coach Nuno Espirito Santo faces injury concerns of his own. Long-term absentees Danilo (broken ankle) and Ibrahim Sangare (hamstring) remain unavailable, while Nuno must carefully manage the fitness of Morgan Gibbs-White and Elliot Anderson, who have been nursing injuries. Both players’ availability could be pivotal in Forest’s attempts to challenge a struggling Manchester City.
The match is one of 10 midweek Premier League fixtures being broadcast on Amazon Prime Video from December 3-5, alongside another set of 10 games on December 26-27. As City looks to rediscover their form and Forest aims to climb the table, the clash promises to be a closely watched encounter.
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