Manuel Akanji uploaded a photo of himself wearing Manchester City training gear, suggesting that Pep Guardiola has him available once more.
Since hobbling off during this month’s FA Cup victory against Huddersfield Town, the central defender has not appeared on the field.
Even though Akanji tried to fight on, he was unable to continue after an Alex Matos challenge, and after just 20 minutes, Matheus Nunes took his position.
Akanji played for barely twenty minutes, but in that time, he completed more passes than all of the Huddersfield players combined.
It appears that Akanji will again be in the running to play against Burnley tomorrow night after being forced to miss the games against Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur and being unable to practice in Abu Dhabi.
Manuel Akanji pictured in Manchester City training gear ahead of Burnley clash
After Akanji’s injury against Huddersfield, Pep Guardiola was not very worried about him.
It was always probable that the Switzerland international would be back very soon, and it now appears that he will play against Burnley in some form.
Akanji confirmed some good news for City supporters this morning by posting a picture of himself to social media with the comment, “Back in training.”
Jack Grealish was the first player to respond to the news, which will excite the supporters of the City. Two heart-eye emojis were left by the England international.
Akanji’s chances of playing against Burnley will probably be questioned when Pep Guardiola gives team news during his press conference today.
A significant boost for the city
It’s wonderful to have Akanji back in the City lineup following a few weeks out.
The £15 million defender has made 74 appearances in just 18 months at the club, demonstrating his importance to Pep.
In the previous season, Akanji—which Sam Allardyce called “unbelievable”—performed incredible on his way to winning the Treble. He hasn’t performed as well this year, but among all the defenders, he has most likely just trailed Nathan Ake in terms of output.
We’ll see how involved he is in the opposition to Burnley.
Considering that he won’t be as match-ready as other players, it would seem improbable that he will start.