| Manchester City vs Monaco | |
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MATCH INFO |
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MATCH :
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Manchester City vs Monaco
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COMPETITION :
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UEFA Champions League
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| DATE: |
02-10-2025
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TIME:
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12.30 PM IST (UTC +5:30)
11.00 PM UAE
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STADIUM
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Stade Louis II
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Manchester City emerged from their bruising clash with Burnley unscathed, but Pep Guardiola still has a few fitness headaches ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League tie with Monaco. Midfield lynchpin Rodri sat out the weekend victory with a knee issue and remains a touch-and-go case for midweek. Long-term absentees Abdukodir Khusanov (ankle), Rayan Ait-Nouri (unspecified), Omar Marmoush (knee) and Rayan Cherki (thigh) continue their respective recoveries, with the latter unlikely to return before November.
Up front, all eyes will once again be on Erling Haaland, who struck twice and set up another against Burnley. The Norwegian talisman is set to bring up his 50th Champions League appearance and already owns the competition record for most goals in a player’s first half-century of games – an astonishing 50 in 49.
For Monaco, anticipation is building around Paul Pogba’s potential debut, though the former Manchester United star is still thought to be a couple of weeks short of full fitness. Adi Hütter’s men are also contending with a lengthy injury list, as Lamine Camara (ankle), Denis Zakaria (groin), Aleksandr Golovin (hamstring) and first-choice goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky (knee) remain sidelined. However, Thilo Kehrer’s domestic suspension does not impact his European availability.
The Principality side may look instead to Barcelona loanee Ansu Fati for inspiration. The 21-year-old has made a blistering start in red and white, netting four goals in just three cameo appearances off the bench. A first start under the European spotlight could now be on the cards.