Manchester City will have to plan for life without Jeremy Doku a little longer after Pep Guardiola confirmed the winger will miss Wednesday’s Carabao Cup quarter-final against Brentford.
The Belgian was absent from City’s matchday squad for Sunday’s Premier League win at Crystal Palace, with his omission quickly raising concerns given his growing importance to Guardiola’s side this season.
Doku has been one of City’s most direct and explosive players in recent months, particularly on the left flank, where his pace and one-on-one ability have stretched defences and created space for others to thrive.
Despite his absence, City showed little sign of slowing down in south London. Erling Haaland struck twice, either side of Phil Foden’s seventh league goal of the campaign, as the Sky Blues claimed a convincing 3-0 victory.
The result ensured City kept the pressure firmly on league leaders Arsenal, underlining their consistency at a crucial stage of the season.
Yet the bigger concern for Guardiola lies beyond one result. With fixtures piling up across domestic and cup competitions, injuries are beginning to test the depth of his squad, particularly in wide attacking areas.
Jeremy Doku’s injury comes at a time when City are navigating a demanding schedule and attempting to maintain momentum on multiple fronts.
Guardiola confirms Doku will be out for two to three weeks
According to CityXtra, speaking after the win over Palace, Guardiola made it clear that Doku would not recover in time to face Brentford in midweek. The City manager also provided an early indication of how long the winger might be sidelined, though he stopped short of offering a precise return date.
“Jeremy (Doku) is out (against Brentford),” Guardiola said as he ruled out the former Rennes man from the Carabao Cup quarter-final.
When asked to clarify the expected length of Doku’s absence, Guardiola added:
“I don’t know. Two, three weeks. I don’t know, maybe I think (in the) New Year, in Sunderland maybe, to be sure. Yeah, we’ll see.”
Those comments suggest City are unwilling to take risks with a player who has become central to their attacking structure. The mention of a possible return around the New Year points towards a cautious approach, especially with the festive period traditionally packed with matches.
Guardiola also confirmed that Doku is not the only senior player unavailable at present.
“Jeremy out, John (Stones) out, Rodri out. The rest, I think will be ready (to face Brentford),” he said.
While Guardiola struck a relatively optimistic tone about the remainder of his squad, the list of absentees is significant.
Rodri’s importance to City’s balance in midfield is well established, while Stones’ versatility across defence and midfield has been invaluable. In addition, Mateo Kovacic is expected to be sidelined until the spring of 2026 after undergoing surgery on his heel in November, further limiting Guardiola’s options.
The Carabao Cup has often been a competition where Guardiola rotates his squad, but with injuries mounting, his ability to shuffle the pack may be more restricted than usual.
While he is expected to make changes against Brentford, sources close to the club suggest it will not be on the scale seen earlier in the season, when a heavily rotated side fell to a 2-0 defeat at home to Bayer Leverkusen.
City weigh up wide options amid busy schedule
Jeremy Doku’s injury highlights a potential vulnerability in City’s squad composition. Guardiola does not possess extensive depth in natural wide attacking positions, particularly with other circumstances limiting his choices.
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Omar Marmoush is currently away with the Egypt national team for the 2026 Africa Cup of Nations, reducing the pool of available wide players even further.
Meanwhile, Rayan Cherki and Phil Foden have both been thriving in more central roles. Their combination play and technical quality between the lines have been a key feature of City’s attacking play this season, and Guardiola is understood to be reluctant to move either player out wide unless absolutely necessary.
As a result, Savinho appears the most natural candidate to deputise for Doku on the left wing. The Brazilian has shown flashes of his ability and offers pace and creativity, though his profile is different from that of Doku, who is more inclined to attack defenders directly and commit them in one-on-one situations.
Guardiola’s preference, however, would be to have Doku available as City approach a crucial period in the campaign. The festive schedule, coupled with progress in cup competitions, places a premium on squad health and rhythm.
Doku’s energy and unpredictability have been especially useful against teams that defend deep, a scenario City frequently encounter.