Man City have been handed a welcome boost ahead of their Champions League match against Real Madrid with the news that three Galacticos stars are all likely to miss out for the Spanish side, as reported via journalist Gustavo Hofman.
What is the latest Man City team news?
Pep Guardiola's side have yet to win the Champions League but will hopeful of finally getting their hands on that elusive trophy this campaign.
They've reached the semi-final stage again, having done it three times in succession now, and come up against a Real Madrid side that saw off Premier League rivals Chelsea in the quarter-final stage. The La Liga giants pulled off a 4-0 aggregate victory over the Blues and prior to that also eased past Liverpool.
City themselves though managed to topple Bayern Munich in the previous round of the competition, beating them 4-1 over the course of two games and putting seven past RB Leipzig before that.
With City harbouring ambitions of getting all the way to the final again, they would have been handed a welcome boost then ahead of their first fixture against Madrid tonight. That's because the Spanish giants are set to be without two more stars, having already seen Eder Militao miss out through suspension.
According to journalist Gustavo Hofman, Ferland Mendy and Dani Ceballos both missed Madrid's training final session ahead of the fixture against Man City. Luka Modric was another name who was nearly sidelined for the tie but boss Carlo Ancelotti has since revealed he can "play without problem." It means that the midfielder is now likely to play against Guardiola's outfit.
It will be a blow for Madrid, with Ceballos having played in six of the club's Champions League games so far this campaign and Mendy in five. However, it will be welcome news for City as they look to chase a win.
A welcome boost for Man City?
The news of these potential absentees will be pleasing for City and their fans, as they aim to try and overcome Madrid and try and get their hands on the Champions League.
Whilst there are more influential players that the club would more likely want to see on the sidelines – Modric has two goals and one assist so far in the competition for example and nearly did miss out – it will still hinder the La Liga side in their bid to reach another final.
Ceballos has seven goal contributions this campaign in all competitions, showing that he is a player well capable of getting the business done for Madrid, regularly used as an impact substitute. Mendy too has featured 25 times this year and has an assist to his name, showing that he remains an important player for the club. For both to miss out then is not going to help the Spanish side in the slightest.