Pep Guardiola issues Rayan Cherki and Jeremy Doku injury update ahead of Newcastle showdown

Manchester City may be forced to take on Newcastle United without two key members of their attacking threat this week, Pep Guardiola has revealed.

The latest fitness concerns arrive at a delicate moment in City’s season, with the Carabao Cup semi-final placing further strain on a squad that has only recently begun to stabilise after a difficult winter spell.

Manager Guardiola has been managing minutes carefully following a period in which Manchester City were without close to a full starting line-up through injury, and Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Tottenham highlighted attacking potential and vulnerability.

Rayan Cherki was central to much of the creative play in the first half before appearing to suffer a knock, prompting questions over his availability for the Newcastle clash. With City already short in wide areas, any absence would complicate Guardiola’s planning.

The situation is compounded by longer-term issues elsewhere in the squad, with Josko Gvardiol, Mateo Kovacic, John Stones and Savinho all sidelined, while Jeremy Doku’s explosiveness has been missed since a calf injury against Galatasaray.

Speaking to reporters during his pre-match press conference on Tuesday afternoon, Pep Guardiola confirmed that Rayan Cherki picked up a knock during Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Tottenham, and that an assessment on the Frenchman would be made today.

Elsewhere, Jeremy Doku remains sidelined with a calf injury sustained in the 2-0 win over Galatasaray last week, whilst Ruben Dias has returned to first-team training following a hamstring issue.

Beyond fitness, Guardiola must also navigate competition regulations when finalising his squad with Marc Guehi ineligible for the tie after arriving at Manchester City after the first leg. In contrast, Sverre Nypan is eligible after not featuring for Middlesbrough in the competition.

Antoine Semenyo and Max Alleyne are both available, however, having joined City before the first leg and featuring in that encounter with Newcastle, claiming a crucial 2-0 advantage for Wednesday night’s clash.

Alleyne’s emergence has provided Pep Guardiola with added flexibility in defence at a time when options are limited. But should Cherki be ruled out, Guardiola may be forced to reshuffle his attacking structure once again, potentially leaning on Bernardo Silva’s versatility or asking Phil Foden to operate wider.

With Ruben Dias back in training and several players edging closer to returns, Manchester City will hope this is a short-term concern rather than another prolonged absence as the season reaches a decisive phase, and with a visit to Anfield to take on Liverpool on the horizon.