Manchester derby: Marmoush and other potential absentees

Manchester City and Manchester United face off in a thrilling derby this Sunday, September 14, 2025 at 3:30 p.m. GMT as part of Matchday 4 of the Premier League.

This clash will be marked by several absences on both sides, mainly due to injuries picked up during the international break.

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The biggest absentee will undoubtedly be Omar Marmoush. The Egyptian winger’s withdrawal has been confirmed by his club after he picked up an injury during the Burkina Faso-Egypt match in Group A of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers (Africa zone).

Beyond the Pharaoh, Pep Guardiola will also be without Ryan Cherki, already sidelined before the break and absent with the French national team. Mateo Kovacic, Kalvin Phillips, and John Stones are all confirmed to miss out, unlike Phil Foden, Savinho, Josko Gvardiol, and Abdukodir Khusanov, who remain doubtful but not completely ruled out.

On the other side, Ruben Amorim will be without Lisandro Martinez, who is still recovering. He’ll have to wait and see about Diogo Dalot’s condition after the defender left Portugal’s camp due to a muscle injury. Mason Mount and Matheus Cunha are also unlikely to feature after picking up knocks against Burnley before the international break.

Imed Ben Amara |

Editorar, fr

Imed Ben Amara - bilingual sports writer and web editor with experience in football content creation. Since 2021, he has contributed to Foot Africa, providing news coverage and analysis.