Maresca confirms Gvardiol and Guehi injuries after Forest defeat

Enzo Maresca said injuries were behind the half-time withdrawals of Josko Gvardiol and Marc Guehi during Manchester City's 3-1 defeat at Nottingham Forest on Saturday. BBC Sport reported the manager's explanation after a result that left City six points behind Premier League leaders Arsenal heading into the international break.

Watch the highlights:

Both defenders were replaced at the interval, with Matheus Nunes and Nico O'Reilly entering the game. Nunes took over at right-back, Abdukodir Khusanov shifted into the centre of defence and O'Reilly played on the left. The BBC report did not specify either player's injury or provide a recovery timetable, leaving the extent of the problems unclear.

Maresca also identified a lack of intensity before half-time as a central issue in City's performance. He said his players had failed to compete effectively for duels and second balls, and acknowledged that their response began only after they were two goals behind. Asked why that intensity had been missing, he said he needed to examine the reasons. He nevertheless urged against panic after the defeat.

Forest had taken the lead in the sixth minute when Jair Cunha capitalised on Gvardiol losing possession. Liam Delap added two goals against his former club, while Rayan Cherki scored City's only goal. Maresca said his team had opportunities to add to Cherki's strike, but conceded again on the counterattack as they tried to recover. Forest's third goal restored their two-goal advantage and City could not overturn the deficit.

The loss followed Premier League defeats by Aston Villa and Brighton, a sharp reversal after City began the season with seven consecutive league victories. According to BBC Sport, this is their first run of three straight league defeats since a sequence of four losses in November and December 2024. The latest setback came after a midweek Champions League victory at RB Leipzig.

Arsenal's 1-0 win over Hull earlier on Saturday increased the pressure on City before kick-off. With the international break now beginning, Maresca faces both the unresolved fitness questions concerning Gvardiol and Guehi and the performance problems he identified at the City Ground. His post-match comments offered no explanation yet for the low intensity he described.