Manchester City suffer injury scare as defender Nathan Ake limps off after just SIX minutes into the Netherlands’ friendly with Spain
- Nathan Ake hobbled off after just six minutes in the Netherlands’ friendly
- The Manchester City defender went down after a back pass to his goalkeeper
- He was unable to continue clutching the back of his right leg and was replaced
- The news is likely to intensify Pep Guardiola’s calls for an increase of substitutes
Pep Guardiola and Manchester City have suffered an injury scare after centre-back Nathan Ake limped off in the early stages of the Netherlands’ friendly against Spain.
After just six minutes on the clock the 25-year-old collapse onto the turf and clutch the back of right leg after an apparent innocuous back pass to his goalkeeper Marco Bizot.
The City defender was not able to continue and was duly replaced by Daley Blind with what appeared to be a potential hamstring injury.
Manchester City have suffered an injury scare after Nathan Ake limped off for the Netherlands
Ake went down after a seemingly innocuous back pass and was clutching the back of his leg
Guardiola’s men have had their fair share of injury issues so far this term, with fellow defenders Aymeric Laporte and Benjamin Mendy having suffered problems already this term.
Moreover, Ake has already suffered from injury this season and missed three games in October due to what was described as ‘niggles in the groin.’
Ake joined City in the summer in a £40million deal following Bournemouth’s relegation from the Premier League and has made six appearances for his new side so far.
Ake has already had injury problems for City this season with ‘niggles to his groin’ in October
The news will only intensify Guardiola’s calls for the rules on the number of substitutes to be increased from three to five in the Premier League.
‘I don’t understand, I don’t know who is in charge to decide these things but I don’t know how they don’t understand when all the leagues around the world except this league have five substitutions, to protect the players, to protect the footballers, to protect the physicality of playing every three days,’ Guardiola said after City’s draw with Liverpool at the weekend.
‘Maybe this league likes to be different. The situation is unusual, it is different. That’s why I am surprised, I don’t understand and since I have a microphone and people ask me about this I will have the same theory.
Ake joined the club from Bournemouth in the summer and has made six appearances so far
‘It’s not to take advantage, it’s to protect the players, today a right-back from the national team is injured for that reason and tomorrow it will be another player.
‘I don’t understand what benefit it three or five, the show must go on, it’s not to play games or not play games, it’s to protect the players. The previous season finished later, it was exceptional [circumstances] and all the leagues around the world understand the situation, except here.
‘It’s ridiculous. LeBron James won the NBA title, know he will be on holiday for one month, two months, three months, these guys had eight days to two weeks and then it’s games, games, games.
‘The pandemic is still here, every league around the world has five subs.’
The news will likely intensify Pep Guardiola’s calls for more substitutions to be allowed