Why Manchester City Deserve Credit for Negotiating a Debilitating Injury List

The quality running through Manchester City’s squad means expectations for the season are high.

There’s a feeling they should be pulling away in the title race, but given their injury list, the extent of which was revealed in an article by Jeremy Wilson in the Telegraph on Tuesday, their start to the season has been commendable.

City currently top the Premier League table, albeit on goal difference, and they are the only English side through to the Champions League last 16 (they did it with two games to spare, despite being in the most difficult group)

And now, after a 4-1 win over Hull City on Tuesday night, they find themselves in the semi-final of the League Cup, with a repeat of their triumph in 2014 now very much on the cards.

Manuel Pellegrini, quite rightly, would not swap places with any other side in England.

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A @DeBruyneKev inspired #mcfc coast into the @capitalonecup semi-finals Official verdict: https://t.co/8X7ayp8yvk pic.twitter.com/iyL4U6PyBg

— Manchester City FC (@MCFC) December 1, 2015"

That’s not to say their season has been perfect. Defeats to Tottenham and Liverpool were worrying—the worst since Sheikh Mansour’s takeover of the club in 2008. Both sides are fine exponents of a high pressing game, and City were badly rattled on both occasions. Their two defeats to Juventus also disappointed, as did the loss to West Ham United back in September.

However, their progress has been otherwise steady, and their current position needs to be placed in its proper context. They are alive in all competitions, despite a backdrop of injury problems that has left Pellegrini’s squad depleted.

City have suffered 35 injuries—the most of any Premier League side—22 of which, rather worryingly, have been soft tissue problems, which must surely concern Pellegrini’s medical staff.

Jon Super/Associated Press

And so it continues. After the win over Hull, Pellegrini revealed Kompany won’t be fit for this weekend’s trip to Stoke City, nor will he feature in next week’s Champions League game with Borussia Dortmund, with others also still unavailable.

“[Pablo] Zabaleta and Kompany are out [for the weekend],” he said. “Joe Hart can be fit for Saturday, if not for Tuesday.

“Kun [Aguero] has a pain in his heel. He is improving. We must see tomorrow or Thursday if he can play on Saturday. Fernando has a small problem. I think he can play on Saturday. Nasri has a long time to recover. Jesus twisted his ankle. We will see tomorrow how important it is.

“I don’t think Vincent will be ready, maybe against Swansea, but I don’t think before that.”

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You voted @21LVA tonight's Man of the Match. Thanks for taking part! #cityvhull #mcfc #elcapitan pic.twitter.com/zX0VWLpEdX

— Manchester City FC (@MCFC) December 1, 2015"

It’s been an ongoing problem, but if City can recover their injured players and keep their squad relatively fit during the second half of the campaign, they can win multiple trophies this season.

Against Hull, they made five changes to the side that beat Southampton on Saturday, and rolled over a decent Championship side with relative ease.

Steve Bruce’s side tried to sit deep and frustrate City, but Wilfiried Bony’s early strike, the brilliance of David Silva, two late goals from Kelechi Iheanacho and Kevin De Bruyne saw them move comfortably into the last four.

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.@wilfriedbony reflects on a job well done... #cityvhull #mcfc Full reaction video: https://t.co/f2DHbxM0qv pic.twitter.com/nqztEHCWzf

— Manchester City FC (@MCFC) December 1, 2015"

Pellegrini was impressed with his side, particularly given the number of games they have played in a short space of time.

“I think it was a difficult game against a good team that is at the top of the table in the Championship.

“More than that because we played the third game in less than one week—on Wednesday, Saturday and Tuesday—and we have a very good response from the squad with different names.”

In 2014, their League Cup win was the catalyst for a Premier League title win a few months later. Pellegrini would love a similar outcome this season. 

Rob Pollard is Bleacher Report's lead Manchester City correspondent and will be following the club from a Manchester base throughout the 2015/16 season. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter @RobPollard_.