Manchester City: Things go from bad to worse as Guardiola loses key man for 2 months

Manchester City and manager Pep Guardiola will be without playmaker Rayan Cherki for up to two months, including three crucial upcoming matches against Manchester United, Napoli, and Arsenal.

This setback comes at a challenging time for Guardiola's men, who were beaten 2-1 by Brighton at the Amex Stadium on Sunday, leaving them with only three points from their first three games of the 2025/26 season.

Despite Erling Haaland scoring the opening goal on his 100th Premier League appearance, Brighton fought back with a penalty from James Milner before substitute Brajan Gruda secured the victory in the final minutes.

The result means City heads into a demanding run of fixtures with confidence shaken, and the injury news compounds their problems.

When asked about the injury after the game, Guardiola revealed the attacking midfielder would be sidelined for two months.

Cherki, who arrived this summer from Lyon, was ruled out of the Brighton match with a thigh issue.