Manchester City await scan results after Omar Marmoush knee injury; forward to miss Manchester derby

Manchester City face a further disruption to their attacking options after forward Omar Marmoush sustained a knee injury on international duty and will miss Sunday’s Manchester derby, the club said.

Marmoush was forced off just moments into Egypt’s goalless World Cup qualifying draw with Burkina Faso on Tuesday night. Egypt’s national team doctor described the problem as a bruise on the knee ligament and the 26-year-old underwent further scans in Cairo on Wednesday before flying back to England for additional testing and the start of rehabilitation.

Marmoush arrived in the Egyptian capital on crutches and was met by senior figures including Egypt’s minister for youth and sport, Ashraf Sobhy. The club confirmed the forward will miss the derby while City medical staff assess the full extent of the injury following the scans in England.

The setback comes as Pep Guardiola contends with further absences in his forward line. Earlier this month Guardiola revealed new signing Rayan Cherki, a £31 million recruit from Lyon, has suffered a quadriceps tear and is expected to be out until late October. Phil Foden, another of City's attacking options, was described by Guardiola as not fully fit before the international break; Foden has played 15 minutes of Premier League football so far this season and was not included in England’s recent squads for wins over Andorra and Serbia.

With Marmoush sidelined, Manchester City will look to the returning and available wide players. Savinho is expected to be back in the squad after a potential summer move to Tottenham failed to materialise, while Jeremy Doku returned from international duty in form, scoring twice and recording an assist in Belgium’s 6-0 victory over Kazakhstan.

The absence of Marmoush removes one attacking option for Guardiola ahead of a fixture that often carries significant implications in the title race and local rivalry. City had relied on rotation across a deep forward group during an injury-affected start to the season, but the latest developments add pressure on available senior players and tactical planning for the derby.

Manchester City will provide further updates once club medical staff complete the scans and outline a rehabilitation programme. Egypt’s football federation also issued a statement confirming the player had been examined by the national team doctor and had undergone preliminary imaging in Cairo.

Marmoush joined City’s squad as part of their forward group and had featured in the early stages of the campaign. The club and national team will continue to monitor his recovery before determining any longer-term treatment or return-to-play timelines.