Manchester City star spotted on crutches and wearing protective boot in major injury blow

Pep Guardiola’s FIFA Club World Cup plans and views towards the start of the European season have taken a hit via a fresh injury blow to a first-team star.

That concerns highly-rated Argentina international Claudio Echeverri, who made his first start for the club since arriving during the last January transfer window on Sunday night, as Manchester City dismissed of UAE opposition in Al Ain.

Doubling City’s lead in the first-half, Echeverri managed to secure his first goal for the club thanks to a sensational direct free-kick from distance and setting his side on their way to an eventual 6-0 win in Atlanta, Georgia.

But the first-half would come to a close with disappointment for the 19-year-old, as an earlier injury that he initially managed to run off caused further discomfort come the interval, forcing his substitution, replaced by Phil Foden.

Now, as Manchester City turn their attentions to a deciding group stage clash against Juventus when it comes to who takes top spot in the division, there has been a fresh development concerning Claudio Echeverri’s injury.

As per images released by Fox Deportes on Tuesday, Manchester City’s Claudio Echeverri has been spotted on crutches at the club’s Boca Raton training base, also wearing a protective boot around his right ankle.

Additional reporting from ESPN’s Rob Dawson also confirms that the Argentine playmaker is being assessed by club medical staff and will certainly miss the club’s final Club World Cup group stage match-up against Juventus on Thursday night.

Pep Guardiola is due to face the media in his pre-match press conference ahead of the clash with the Italian giants on Wednesday night, with Manchester City taking on Juventus from Orlando, Florida at the Camping World Stadium.

Having missed out on a seventh goal against Al Ain on Sunday which would have swung goal difference in favour of the Premier League side, City know that only a win would secure themselves a first-placed finish in the group.

That will then leave them awaiting the conclusion of the group containing Real Madrid, RB Salzburg, and Al-Hilal, as they would face the second-placed team among those sides in the event of winning their group.