Manchester City have received a triple boost ahead of their Carabao Cup match against Liverpool on Thursday..
Following a break in the domestic season for the Qatar World Cup, the English football calendar returns this week with a fourth-round clash between Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool and Sky Blues at the Etihad Stadium.
None of City’s five England representatives have returned to first-team training, and all are expected to miss the match against Liverpool, but Pep Guardiola has welcomed back three other World Cup participants this week, all of whom will be in contention for a starting spot..
Kevin De Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan had already returned to the fold following Belgium’s and Germany’s shock group stage exits, but they have now been joined by Dutch center-back Nathan Ake, Swiss defender Manuel Akanji, and Rodri, who played all five games for Spain before their elimination..
The Netherlands were eliminated in the quarter-finals, while Switzerland and Spain were eliminated in the Round of 16. Rodri was paired with City teammate Aymeric Laporte for the Spaniards, but the latter was not present at City’s training session on Monday..
Despite the return of the trio, City still has a number of notable absentees, and Klopp will be hoping that Liverpool’s reduced involvement in the latter stages of the tournament in Qatar will give them an advantage when they face the Sky Blues at the Etihad on Thursday.
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