Despite the World Cup only finishing on December 18, Manchester City’s domestic campaign returns on December 22 with an EFL Cup clash against Liverpool.
Pep Guardiola has been vocal about his annoyance with the timing of the fixture and recently told reporters that his squad will be patched up as players have staggered returns based on their World Cup exits.
He told reporters after City’s friendly win over Girona: “In the next few days they will re-join their team-mates here. (Aymer is) coming back soon.”
Aymeric Laporte nailed down a regular starting place after recovering from injury, starting three of City’s last four Premier League games, so he’ll likely start against Liverpool if deemed fit.
With Spain being eliminated from the World Cup on December 6, Laporte will have had 16 days to rest and recover before the Liverpool clash. He played in three of Spain’s four games in Qatar, faring well alongside Rodri at centre-back, so it’s very likely he’ll get the nod on Thursday from Guardiola.
Laporte, who’s represented Spain on 19 occasions, has made eight appearances in all competitions for City this season, amassing 634 minutes of playing time. He recovered from knee surgery two months ago and hasn’t shown any sign of rustiness.
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