Man City Defender Matija Nastasic Sidelined For Six Weeks

by Luke Karlik

official website that Matija Nastasic is likely miss the start of the Premier League season with an ankle injury. The 20-year-old centre back was stretchered off against Sunderland during the Barclays Asia Trophy final in Hong Kong last month. MRI scans later revealed that the Serbian could be out for four to six weeks, leaving City boss Manuel Pellegrini with limited defensive options ahead of his first league fixture in charge against Newcastle United on August 6. The Blues€™ 2011/2012 title-winning partnership of Joleon Lescott and Vincent Kompany could be restored, or Belgian defender Dedryck Boyata is also available for selection. £20 million-rated Real Madrid defender Pepe has been heavily linked with a move to the Etihad this summer, although Pellegrini insists that another foray into the transfer market is not necessary in the absence of the Serbia international. The Chilean told reporters: "I said that we could do something else before the Premier League starts but maybe we stay with the same squad. At the moment we aren't that concerned about that but I'm very happy with the squad we have". Meanwhile, Sergio Agüero is expected to return to first-team training by the end of the week having not featured for the club since late May. City wrap up their pre-season preparations on Saturday as they take on Arsenal at the Olympic Stadium in Helsinki. The friendly match will be the first time two Premier League clubs have met in Finland.

Contributor
Contributor

Luke is a Bachelor of Journalism (Sport) student at La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia. A passionate fan of football competitions across the world, he also contributes to other outlets including The Sportster, GiveMeSport and ChelseaDaft.