Injuries

MANCHESTER — Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola blames the congested fixture schedule for the injuries that have ravaged his struggling team this season, saying he needs a squad of 45 or 50 players to weather the storm.

Saying City are in survival mode, Guardiola added he could have just three defenders available when they host Manchester United in Sunday's derby at Etihad Stadium, another blow to their dwindling hopes of retaining their Premier League title.

They are fourth in the table and have just one victory to show for their last 10 games across all competitions.

Real Madrid's French forward Kylian Mbappé has been diagnosed with an injury to his left thigh, the LaLiga club said on Thursday, making him a doubt for next week's FIFA Intercontinental Cup final.

Mbappé was replaced during the first half of Real's 3-2 win at Atalanta in the Champions League on Tuesday, having given his side the lead with a 10th minute goal.

Kylian Mbappé injury update

The latest Christian Pulisic injury update will disappoint AC Milan and United States men’s national team fans as the star forward has sustained a torn right calf. The tear is low-grade, but Pulisic will be out for 3-4 weeks.

Pulisic won’t play soccer again until 2025. That sounds bad until you remember that 2024 will be over in literally three weeks. We had a good laugh at how many news outlets made dramatic headlines of “PULISIC OUT FOR THE YEAR!” when the year is about to end.

Clickbait at its finest. We’re guilty of it too from time to time.

The Christian Pulisic injury vs Atalanta on Friday has United States men’s national team fans concerned after the American star was forced to exit the game in the first half.

Pulisic has had a litany of injuries in his career but has had a great streak of being healthy lately. Most of his injuries happened during his time with Chelsea. Since joining Milan at the start of the 2023-24 season, the 26-year-old has only missed two games with the club due to injury.

England skipper Harry Kane has hit out at several players who withdrew from the national team ahead of their Nations League matches against Greece and Ireland, saying on Wednesday that country must always come before club football.

England play Greece away on Thursday followed by Ireland three days later at Wembley but nine players, some of them regular starters, who were called up by interim boss Lee Carsley have pulled out due to injuries.

Neymar was not too downcast after being forced to leave Monday's Asian Champions League match due to injury with the Al-Hilal forward saying he felt the issue was nothing more than a strong cramp.

The Brazilian, who limped off 30 minutes after coming on as a second-half substitute in Al-Hilal's 3-0 win over Esteghlal, said doctors had warned him about the potential for muscle issues following his return from an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury.

Neymar muscle injury

Christian Pulisic is one of five United States men’s national team players being sent back to their club ahead of Tuesday’s friendly. For fans asking why is Pulisic not playing vs Mexico, the USMNT star is going back to AC Milan to manage his workload.

The other four USMNT players heading back to their clubs have picked up minor injuries.

Weston McKennie, Ricardo Pepi, Zack Steffen and Marlon Fossey have all left the USMNT October camp.

Why is Pulisic not playing vs Mexico

MANCHESTER — Manchester United defender Noussair Mazraoui has undergone a corrective heart procedure after experiencing palpitations but is expected to be available to play in the next few weeks, according to team sources.

Mazraoui withdrew on Monday from the Morocco squad for two Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against the Central African Republic on Saturday and Tuesday.

Mazraoui heart procedure

Gio Reyna is expected to miss another month and-a-half with a groin injury after suffering a setback, announced Borussia Dortmund manager Nuri Sahin.

The United States men’s national team midfielder initially suffered the injury during the USMNT’s September window and has been out for club and country since.

️ Nuri Şahin:

United States women’s national team legend and icon Kelley O’Hara had a bittersweet conclusion to her career as injuries ended her final season early.

She had planned to retire after the 2024 NWSL season, but was forced to hang up her boots in September.

Her club, Gotham FC, announced she was on the season-ending injury list meaning the Bats’ 2-1 victory vs. Houston Dash on Sept. 8 was her O'Hara's final appearance.