When defender Nathan Ake hobbled off against Bayern Munich on Wednesday night, Man City suffered a severe setback. The 28-year-old experienced what seemed to be a hamstring issue during the 1-1 UEFA Champions League draw with Bayern.
Aymeric Laporte took over for Ake, who was positioned on the left side of the defense, in the second half. Ake now must wait in suspense to see whether he will be available for the crucial Premier League title match against Arsenal on Wednesday. Even though City has played one more game than Mikel Arteta’s team, the Gunners presently lead by four points.
This season, Ake has been a pillar of Pep Guardiola’s squad and has barely made a mistake. Ake’s comeback will depend on the kind and location of the injury, with recuperation times ranging from one to ten weeks, according to injury specialist Dr. Rajpal Brar.
The Dutchman acknowledged after the game that additional testing will be necessary to determine exactly how long Ake will be out of action. The defender told Sky Sports: “You never know with these things, so we will do the ultrasounds and stuff tomorrow and then hopefully it’s not too bad.” The defender added: “I’ve had it before and it feels a little bit less, to be honest, but you never know with these things.”
It’s uncertain if Ake will be ready for Arsenal’s match against City at the Etihad Stadium in less than a week. Guardiola already has a standout alternative to take the defender’s position if he is ruled out.
The most obvious choice for the former Barcelona head coach is Laporte, who took Ake’s place on Wednesday night. Rico Lewis and Sergio Gomez, who have both featured on the left side of City’s defense this season, are options for Guardiola should he decide to go with someone else.
Over the next few days, Ake will probably learn the extent of the injuries. The rest of the Arsenal team, including Mikel Arteta, will likely be among those monitoring the situation.