Pep Guardiola reveals ‘ankle disturbances’ sustained by Man City first-team star

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has revealed that Cole Palmer is currently sidelined through an ankle problem.

City are well in the midst of a crucial stage of their ongoing season, as they embark on meetings in both the Premier League and Champions League with just a matter of days separating each contest on a weekly basis.

The reigning top-flight Champions have started the month of May in exemplary fashion, winning match-ups against West Ham and Leeds United at the Etihad Stadium through 3-0 and 2-1 scorelines respectively.

Those victories have moved City to the top of the table by a four-point margin ahead of Arsenal’s trip to Newcastle on Sunday afternoon, but Pep Guardiola will be required to rest and rotate his playing squad as best as possible to maintain the highest of standards week by week.

Speaking prior to the win over Sam Allardyce’s relegation-threatened Leeds side on Saturday afternoon, Pep Guardiola revealed an additional problem sustained by a member of his first-team squad, as Cole Palmer was absent from City’s matchday list.

The England youth international, who is highly-rated by both Pep Guardiola and those within the club, is currently recovering from what the Manchester City boss describes as ‘disturbances’ in his ankle.

Palmer was retained by Manchester City officials last summer despite widespread interest in his signature from clubs across the country, and while a number of his fellow academy graduates were securing loan moves for senior game time in lower divisions.

However, the 21 year-old has been limited to just five starts all season, registering a total of 22 appearances but averaging just 29.3 minutes of on-field action per showing in a Manchester City shirt.

The player’s future remains uncertain beyond the end of this campaign, and while City staff still believe Cole Palmer has a future at the Etihad Stadium, they may look towards the loan success endured by the likes of James McAtee as a reason to give the green light to a temporary exit next season.