MANCHESTER CITY
Manchester City defender Nathan Aké injured against Leeds: will he be fit to play against Real Madrid in the Champions League?
The defender came off early in City’s 2-1 win over Leeds United, just days before the Champions League semi-final.
Manchester City’s 2-1 win over Leeds United ended up being more difficult than expected, with the away team scoring late on, causing Pep Guardiola to launch a tremendous verbal attack at his players until they managed to see out the game in the corner flag. The win will come as good news for the side that now sit 4 points above Arsenal, but the bad news is that defender Nathan Aké went off in the 55th minute with an injury. A Gundogan-inspired Manchester City team beat Leeds comfortably without having to get out of second gear.
Manchester City’s next opponent is none other than Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-final, with Carlo Ancelotti’s men taking on Osasuna just days before. 28-year-old Aké has been one of the shining lights in Guardiola’s side this season, playing on the left of defence 28 times so far after the departure of João Cancelo to Bayern Munich.
What injury does Nathan Aké have? When will he return?
Aké went down holding what appeared to be his calf muscle just before the hour mark in the game. The player initially received treatment on the pitch and looked to be OK to continue before it was decided that a swap for Kyle Walker was the best option. He will presumably undergo tests to determine the extent of the injury, and until then it is not know how long he will be out for.
It is a huge blow for both player and manager once again, as Aké only returned from a hamstring injury in midweek against West Ham, after missing three games. With just three days to go until Manchester City’s trip to Madrid, fingers will be crossed at the Etihad Stadium infirmary in the hope that the defender is deemed fit to play.
