Club World Cup 523g3p

Manchester City Dealt Injury Blow As Mateo Kovacic Set To Miss FIFA Club World Cup 6t1x52

Author photo
By
Cai Parry
Author photo
Cai Parry Sports Editor

Cai is a news and features writer that specialises in football, but has experience covering a variety of other sports, including darts, basketball, American football, MMA, boxing and more. He holds a degree in Football Journalism (BA Hons) from the University of Derby, and worked with Nottingham Forest FC and Burton Albion FC throughout his studies. Cai also has experience working in social media with the Football Association of Wales, where he worked on a freelance basis, and has also been an accredited writer in the JD Cymru Premier for both Y Clwb Pêl-Droed and welshfootie since the 2019/20 season.

Get to know Cai Parry better
Sports Editor

Published02 Jun 2025

Disclosure
We publish independently audited content meeting strict editorial standards. Ads on our site are served by Google AdSense and are not controlled or influenced by our editorial team.

Mateo Kovacic is set to miss the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States, with Manchester City confirming that the midfielder has undergone surgery for an achilles injury.

Manchester City Injury Update: Kovacic Ruled Out Of Club World Cup 717046

Manchester City midfielder Mateo Kovacic has been ruled out of the FIFA Club World Cup. The Croatian has undergone surgery on an achilles injury and will spend the summer rehabilitating instead of travelling to the USA.

Kovacic missed the FA Cup final defeat to Crystal Palace due to injury but returned to action against Bournemouth three days later. City claimed a 3-1 win in that one, however the former Chelsea man was red-carded. Subsequently, he missed the final Premier League game of the season, as the Cityzens claimed a 2-0 win away at Fulham.

It has since been confirmed that the 31-year-old has had to go under the knife in a club statement.

“Manchester City can confirm that Mateo Kovacic has undergone surgery on an Achilles injury,” it read.

“The Croatian midfielder is now set to miss the FIFA Club World Cup as City head to the USA in June.

“Mateo will spend the summer rehabilitating from the operation and everyone at the Club wishes him a speedy recovery.”

Manchester City “Want To Make gs Before Club World Cup” 306n6s

Kovacic’s injury is a blow, of course, but the Cityzens expect to add to their squad before the Club World Cup starts.

The tournament gets underway in around two weeks’ time. City take on Morocco’s Wydad Casablanca in their opener on 18 June. Al Ain of the United Arab Emirates and Juventus them in Group G.

Speaking to the Manchester City website in regards to potential incomings ahead of the tournament, club Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak said: “I can tell you today, we have clearly identified who exactly are the targets, in what positions, and we have our clear number one option, our clear number two option.

“And we’ll go about our business, and it will be very clear, very swift.

“Our objective is to try to be ready with the new squad for the Club World Cup.”

AC Milan’s Tijjani Reijnders and Lyon’s Rayan Cherki are among City’s transfer targets for the summer.

Al Mubarak continued, insisting that the 2023/24 Premier League champions are not taking the Club World Cup lightly.

“This is a very, very serious competition. In the summer, the whole world will be watching this. A big number of the top teams in the world will be competing in this tournament. And I can assure you, we’re going to give it our best shot.

“We’re going in there to win it. This is the beginning of the new season, not the continuation of last season. You know, we take some rest. The team will take the rest that they will take right now, and then they start pre-season and then immediately straight into the Club World Cup.”

How Will Manchester City Line Up At Club World Cup? 5q4537

Although Pep Guardiola is expected to experiment with his team, City are clearly taking the Club World Cup seriously.

This means that they will mix a blend of youth and experience, especially in their opening two matches, while they are most likely to field their strongest XI for the final group game against Juventus.

The tournament also provides Rodri with a good opportunity to build up some minutes. Having suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in October, the Spaniard made his long-awaited return earlier this month.

Any gs made prior to the squad travelling out to the States will seemingly be involved too, with City not only being linked with Reijnders and Cherki but also Wolves’ Rayan Ait-Nouri and Newcastle’s Tino Livramento.

James McAtee, meanwhile, is expected to be sold after reportedly being left out of the Club World Cup squad.

Potential Manchester City Club World Cup lineup:

Ortega

Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly

Rodri, Silva

Savinho, Echeverri, Doku

Haaland

Related 6g6013

Football
Sushan Chakraborty  •  23H
Horse Racing
Andy Newton  •  5H
Boxing
Paul Kelly  •  11H
Golf
Paul Kelly  •  11H

Tags

Author photo
Cai Parry
Sports Editor

Cai is a news and features writer that specialises in football, but has experience covering a variety of other sports, including darts, basketball, American football, MMA, boxing and more. He holds a degree in Football Journalism (BA Hons) from the University of Derby, and worked with Nottingham Forest FC and Burton Albion FC throughout his studies. Cai also has experience working in social media with the Football Association of Wales, where he worked on a freelance basis, and has also been an accredited writer in the JD Cymru Premier for both Y Clwb Pêl-Droed and welshfootie since the 2019/20 season.

Get to know Cai Parry better
Author photo
Cai Parry Sports Editor

Cai is a news and features writer that specialises in football, but has experience covering a variety of other sports, including darts, basketball, American football, MMA, boxing and more. He holds a degree in Football Journalism (BA Hons) from the University of Derby, and worked with Nottingham Forest FC and Burton Albion FC throughout his studies. Cai also has experience working in social media with the Football Association of Wales, where he worked on a freelance basis, and has also been an accredited writer in the JD Cymru Premier for both Y Clwb Pêl-Droed and welshfootie since the 2019/20 season.

All posts by Cai Parry