Man City get minor injury boost but six miss Champions League training for Juventus

Phil Foden trained with Manchester City ahead of their Champions League game with Juventus but three centre-backs remained absent.

Foden missed both matches last week for City with bronchitis but was part of the group that were given a workout in a chilly Manchester on Tuesday morning before they headed for Turin. The 24-year-old has struggled to reach the standards that he set last season for the Blues but has three Champions League goals and an assist so far in this campaign.

If that is a boost for Pep Guardiola, injury concerns over his defence continue. Manu Akanji came off against Forest in midweek and is a doubt for the Juventus game, while Nathan Ake and John Stones appear to be ruled out with their injuries that are more long-term; Mateo Kovacic, Rodri and Oscar Bobb also missed training.

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City were rocked in their Premier League preparations when Oscar Bobb, the standout player in pre-season, suffered a leg fracture in the days before their opening match. Rodri had only just returned to the team when he suffered a season-ending knee injury against Arsenal in September, days after Kevin De Bruyne picked up an issue that would keep him out for months.

It was the end of October when injuries really hit though, with Guardiola leaving North London after their first defeat of the season at Spurs in the Carabao Cup without any of his four senior centre-backs available for the next game at Bournemouth. Between four and seven players have been unavailable for each of the last 17 matches, and often several players in matchday squads have not been fully fit - as was the case at Palace at the weekend.

"The reality is I will have few players to rotate in this type of period," Guardiola said at the weekend. "When we arrive in the Treble season and domestic treble it was because everyone was there.

"We have in those positions, except James [McAtee], Jack and Jeremy the other ones [on the bench] were from the academy. And it's going to happen for the next games, the next three weeks, one month it's going to happen the same.

"It's not a question of luck, it happens. It's life, it happens, accept it, and this is the challenge. That's why the challenge has been given."