Manchester City stars Kyle Walker and Kevin De Bruyne are both nursing injuries (Picture: Getty)

Pep Guardiola has confirmed that Kevin De Bruyne, Kyle Walker, Jeremy Doku and Jack Grealish will all be absent for Manchester City’s clash with Southampton.

Two-time Premier League Player of the Season, De Bruyne, came off with a groin injury midway through City’s goalless draw with Inter Milan last month and has missed the club’s last seven games in all competitions.

Walker, meanwhile, has been forced to sit out City’s last two matches due to a knee problem and wingers Doku and Grealish are both out with minor knocks.

It leaves Guardiola with a number of selection dilemmas ahead of the weekend’s contest between second-placed City and second-bottom Southampton, though the champions are blessed with strength in depth that most other clubs could only dream of.
Guardiola’s men enter the clash as the overwhelming favourites to secure victory, with 19 points separating the two teams at this early stage of the 2024/25 campaign.

There had been some hopes that some or all of City’s absentees could be in line to make their returns at the Etihad but tomorrow’s match comes too soon for the injured quartet.

Asked whether De Bruyne or Walker could be involved, Guardiola told reporters: ‘No, not yet.’

De Bruyne has missed City’s last seven matches (Picture: Getty)

Pressed for a date on De Bruyne’s possible retu...