Football
Jonathan Smith, Manchester City correspondent 5y

Manchester City's Benjamin Mendy out for 10-12 weeks with knee injury - Pep Guardiola

MANCHESTER, England -- Benjamin Mendy will be out for up to three months after having surgery on a knee injury, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has said.

However, City said Guardiola will not go into the transfer market in January and is likely to use players who normally operate in other roles to cover for the France international.

Mendy missed seven months with an anterior cruciate ligament injury in his right knee last season and now faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines after a problem in his left knee.

"Benjamin Mendy will be out for 10 to 12 weeks," Guardiola told a news conference ahead of Saturday's visit to West Ham.

Last season, midfielders Fabian Delph and Oleksandr Zinchenko both filled in at left-back, while central defender Aymeric Laporte could also be shifted into the role.

Last season, Guardiola said the loss of Mendy had cost his side attacking width on the left and used Leroy Sane as his preferred winger on that side.

City are already without Kevin De Bruyne, yet to return to first-team training, while Bernardo Silva has been ruled out of the trip to the London Stadium after picking up a minor injury while on international duty with Portugal.

"Bernardo Silva cannot play this weekend," Guardiola said. "The injury is not a big one, but he cannot play this weekend."

Meanwhile, the manager said he had not ruled out staying at the Etihad Stadium beyond 2021, when his contract expires.

"I have said many times that I extended my contract and, if it is going well, I want to stay more years here," he added.

"Everybody has dreams. Some you accomplish, some you don't. Many things can happen -- maybe in the future I will change my mind.

"I am fully committed in my job here. I have a contract here and I don't deny that, if things are going well, I could extend my contract here."

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