Pep Guardiola is hopeful Phil Foden will be back to his best after an extended rest period over the international break.
Last season’s PFA and FWA Player of the Year has been sidelined since playing 45 minutes in our Premier League opener against Chelsea due to illness.
And the boss admitted in his pre-match press conference that Saturday’s 17:30 (UK) kick-off with West Ham would come too soon for the 24-year-old’s return to action.
But with a busy schedule on the horizon, Guardiola hopes the first international break of the season will given Foden an opportunity to recover and once again be a key figure in our pursuit of silverware.
PREVIEW: WEST HAM V CITY
He said of the England international’s expected return: “Hopefully not [too long]. Hopefully after the international break he’ll be ready.
“He played against Chelsea for 45 minutes but then after he didn’t feel good.
“He had tests and feels much better, but he’s still doesn’t feel perfect.
“I prefer we [have] that time for him to recover and be fine and after, come back after the international break and be ready for those games.”
Hear the manager’s thoughts in full via the video above…
WEST HAM V CITY
City are on the road again with a visit to the London Stadium for our final game ahead of the September international break.
You can keep across the West Ham clash via our Matchday Centre which provides blow-by-blow updates, analysis and reaction before, during and after the clash.
Starting around 75 minutes before kick-off, Natalie Pike will host Matchday Live alongside special guests Sam Allardyce and David James, meanwhile FG will be joined by both Paul Dickov and Michael Brown to provide insight from the London Stadium.
Those with push notifications turned on in the app will be alerted to key moments throughout the game as they happen.
Alistair Mann and Brown will be on hand throughout the afternoon to guide fans through proceedings with live audio commentary while our text commentary continues.
A detailed match report, as well as reaction from Pep Guardiola and players alike, can also be accessed soon after the final whistle.
Short highlights will then be published at 21:15 (UK) before extended and a CITY+ full-match replay can be accessed at midnight.