RAHEEM A REAL DOUBT FOR EUROPE
STERLING IN FIGHT TO BE FIT FOR CHAMPIONS LEAGUE CLASH AT REAL MADRID
RAHEEM Sterling is already doubtful for the first leg of City’s Champions League clash with Real Madrid.
The Blues star limped off at Tottenham with a hamstring injury.
Sterling was walking gingerly as he went past journalists in the mixed zone, and enquiries about his injury were answered by a mumbled reply which sounded like ‘Not good’.
City were keeping quiet on the extent of the problem, with manager Pep Guardiola saying afterwards he had not spoken to the doctors.
But sources close to the player have revealed the England star is likely to be out for two or three weeks, instantly ruling him out of Sunday’s clash with West Ham.
Sterling also faces a race to be ready for the trip to Leicester on February 22, but the emphasis now is on getting him fit for the fateful night at the Bernabeu four days later.
The winter break has come at a good time for him, as he should only miss two league games as well possibly the last-16 tie.
The good news for City is that Leroy Sane is nearing readiness for a return, and he could be set to come back against Leicester on February 22.
Sane has been out since August with a cruciate ligament injury, but returned to training last week. He will not be rushed back - City pushed Aymeric Laporte into their team a week ahead of the original schedule and, though he came through unscathed, he has not figured since.
REAL Madrid are hoping to welcome Eden Hazard back to action tomorrow following a lengthy injury layoff, ahead of the Champions League last-16 tie with City.
The midfielder has been out since late November when he suffered a hairline fracture in his foot in a 2-2 draw with Paris Saint-Germain, but has been stepping up his recovery in recent weeks.
After completing his third full training session with the rest of his Madrid teammates on Monday, Spanish publication AS say the Belgian is expected to be involved in tomorrow’s Copa del Rey quarter-final against Real Sociedad.
City travel to the Bernabeu on February 26 for the first leg of their Champions League knock-out tie, in a rematch of the 2016 semi-final which Los Blancos won 1-0 on aggregate.
Hazard has had a slow start to life in the Spanish capital since completing his £90m switch from Chelsea in the summer as he arrived with a hamstring injury. He has made just 13 appearances this season.
Yet the Blues are all too aware of the damage the 29-year-old can inflict upon them. He has scored four goals and set up another six in games against City during his time in England.
City will be hoping their own star wide-men, Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sane, are available for the tie.
Sterling picked up a hamstring injury in the 2-0 defeat to Tottenham on Sunday and is expected to be out of action for two to three weeks. Sane is yet to kick a ball this season after suffering ligament damage.