Jeremy Doku out until the new year as Pep Guardiola confirms Man City injury blow & reveals stance on January transfer for James Trafford

Doku has been one of City’s most reliable performers this term, starting nine of the previous ten matches before being absent from the weekend win over Palace. His only other omission during that run came in a heavily rotated side that lost at home to Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League, a night Guardiola later acknowledged as a reminder of the risks that come with wholesale changes. City’s manager admitted the winger is unlikely to feature again before the new year, though he stopped short of ruling him out of the first league fixture of 2026. 

"I don’t know, [he will miss] two or three weeks maybe," Guardiola said. "I think new year and Sunderland. We will see."

The Carabao Cup tie will offer a rare opportunity for James Trafford. The young goalkeeper is set to start against Brentford, providing him with valuable minutes after finding opportunities limited since Gianluigi Donnarumma’s arrival. Trafford began the season as City’s league goalkeeper following Ederson’s departure, as he returned to the club from Burnley, but Donnarumma’s subsequent signing has redefined the hierarchy. Despite speculation about a possible January loan move to secure regular football, Guardiola has now shut the door on any mid-season exit. The City boss was unequivocal that Trafford will remain at the Etihad, praising his ability and professionalism while acknowledging the unique pressures of the goalkeeping role.

"Absolutely. I have no news on that with the player or agents. Always I said that," Guardiola said. "He’s an incredible keeper. Unfortunately for him, Gianluigi is the first-choice keeper but he is an incredible keeper, so I know the position of the keeper is so special and during the year in one game you can change. He is with us and will be with us this season and after we will see what happens."

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John Stones and Rodri are also unavailable for Wednesday’s quarter-final, further testing City’s depth in key areas of the pitch. On top of domestic injuries, international commitments have thinned the squad, with Omar Marmoush and Rayan Ait-Nouri away at the Africa Cup of Nations representing Egypt and Algeria, respectively.  

Guardiola has been candid about the challenges of rotation when recovery time is limited. With a home league match against struggling West Ham United looming just three days after the Brentford tie, the manager confirmed that several players rested at Selhurst Park will return, alongside others on the fringes and selected academy prospects.

"James [Trafford] is going to play and all the players who didn’t play against Palace will play, plus some not in the squad and, of course, some from the academy because after that there is three days and we face West Ham," Guardiola said.

The manager was careful to stress that reaching the semi-finals still matters, yet he also acknowledged lessons learned from past experiences. The defeat to Leverkusen, he said, exposed the importance of leadership on the pitch as much as technical quality.

"I am not saying it’s not the priority to reach the semi-final but when we have done it before it is because we have all the squad, no injuries, we can rotate and the team is good and we get to the latter stage," Guardiola explained.

"The problem against Leverkusen was not having a father figure on the pitch. There are players where it is not about their quality, it is about how they lead. That is a lesson I learnt, that you have to find that balance. But of course there are players with lots of minutes, we travelled to Crystal Palace and three days later we play in Manchester. We don’t have much time to recover."

As City chase Arsenal at the top of the Premier League, trailing by just two points, every fixture is important. Although the focus is on Brentford and a place in the semi-finals, beyond that lies a demanding festive run that will test City’s depth and discipline. On Saturday, they host West Ham and will close out the year with a tricky trip to Nottingham Forest on December 27.