Pep Guardiola risking fallout with Omar Marmoush as international feud emerges
Pep Guardiola could soon be facing a very difficult situation with Omar Marmoush due to the upcoming African Cup of Nations.
Marmoush has only just returned from injury for Man City, having been injured during the September international break while away with the Egyptian national team.
He has been regaining fitness since the middle of October, and during Man City’s 3-1 win over Swansea City in the Carabao Cup, the 26-year-old returned to the pitch with a bang with the team’s second goal.
However, it might not be long before the attacking star is unavailable once again, with AFCON kicking off during the winter, and should Egypt reach the final, he would miss a total of eight games.
Man City refuse to lose Omar Marmoush earlier than needed
Head coach Hossam Hassan will be keen to get his squad firing on all cylinders before the tournament begins, which is why a friendly fixture has been confirmed against Nigeria on Sunday, 14 December.
The Telegraph (31 October), though, understands that Man City do not want to release Marmoush, or Rayan Ait-Nouri, ahead of schedule due to their Premier League trip to Crystal Palace on the same day.
Liverpool face a similar situation with Mohamed Salah, though their star winger is nothing like his usual self this season, notching four goals and three assists in 13 games – only poor by his own standards.
November
- 14 December: Premier League, Crystal Palace (A)
- 16 December: Carabao Cup, Brentford (H)
- 20 December: Premier League, West Ham (H)
- 27 December: Premier League, Nottingham Forest (A)
December
- 1 January: Premier League, Sunderland (A)
- 4 January: Premier League, Chelsea (H)
- 7 January: Premier League, Brighton (H)
- 17 January: Premier League, Man United (A)
Above are the matches that Marmoush will miss should Egypt reach the AFCON final, but the fallout between parties looks set to begin long before the player leaves for the tournament in December.
Pep Guardiola has enough talent to survive without the Egyptian international
Erling Haaland is on fire for Man City, unsurprisingly, but he is not the only player within the squad capable of hitting the back of the net, not that it seems that way so far this season.
Phil Foden, Savinho, Jeremy Doku, Rayan Cherki, and Tijjani Reijnders should all be chipping in with more goals, or at least goal contributions, rather than leaving it all up for the Norwegian striker to do.
That is exactly why it makes no sense to hold Marmoush hostage ahead of AFCON, rather than learning to deal without the star, which should force other players to be their very best.
Albeit the player does not seem like the type to throw a tantrum if the club block his exit, but there is certainly a chance of a battle emerging should he not be allowed to join his international teammates.