Pep Guardiola unsure if Ederson will be fit to face Liverpool
Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson could be a doubt for Monday morning's (Singapore time) English Premier League clash against Liverpool, after being substituted at half-time in their dramatic 1-1 Champions League draw against Atalanta in Milan yesterday morning.
Claudio Bravo was introduced after the break for the English champions, but the game finished in chaos as the substitute goalkeeper was sent off 10 minutes from time with right-back Kyle Walker finishing the match in goal.
The Chilean is the first substitute goalkeeper to be dismissed in Champions League history.
"It's a muscular problem," said City manager Pep Guardiola of Ederson.
"It was a risk, so we took him off as he was feeling it late in the first half. We don't know (whether Ederson will be fit to face Liverpool)."
Liverpool lead second-placed City by six points, and a win at Anfield would be a massive boost for Guardiola's side in their bid to retain their EPL crown.
City are already without defenders Aymeric Laporte and Oleksandr Zinchenko, while David Silva is also struggling with a thigh problem, reported AFP.
Former England goalkeeper Rob Green believes City will be exhausting all avenues to get Ederson fit.
He said on the BBC: "I think Manchester City will have every machine under the sun on Ederson for the next few days to get him right.
"The physios will be working double time to make sure he's wrapped up in cotton wool and prepped for Sunday."
Meanwhile, City's stand-in goalkeeper has been receiving the plaudits for moonlighting between the sticks.
Guardiola praised Walker's "courage and desire to help the team".
Left-back Benjamin Mendy added: "I say thank you Kyle, because it's not easy to take on the responsibility to be a goalkeeper and save the free-kick.
"This is one game we're going to remember."
It was definitely a match to remember for Walker, who said: "Did I volunteer? I think it was a bit of both, I try and sometimes banter the keepers in training telling them to catch it, but I found you sometimes have to take two touches to make a save.
"We came here for a point or victory. To come away with a draw is a good point."
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