Manchester City have been walking a tightrope with injuries all season. Now, one of their most exciting players has slipped off it. Jeremy Doku, the electric winger who has brought speed and chaos to Pep Guardiola’s attack, has been ruled out with a leg injury picked up in the final minutes of the win over Ipswich Town.

City have confirmed the issue, and Guardiola has admitted he will be missing “for a while”. The exact length of his absence is still unknown, but the damage to City’s plans is already clear. With key games coming fast in the Premier League and Champions League, this is more than just another name on the treatment table. It changes how City play.

What Happened to Jeremy Doku?

The injury story begins not with a tackle, but with a feeling. In the closing moments of Manchester City’s match against Ipswich Town, Doku felt discomfort in his leg. There was no big clash, no stretcher, no dramatic scene. But something was wrong.

Pep Guardiola later explained it in simple terms.

“He’s injured. Otherwise, he would’ve travelled (with the squad). The last minutes at Ipswich he felt something, and unfortunately he could not be here.”

That “something” has now become a serious concern. Doku has a confirmed leg injury, though the club have not yet given details beyond that. There has been no public talk of muscle tears or broken bones, only a clear message: City will be without him for a stretch of games at a key moment in the season.

Matches Doku Has Already Missed – and What Comes Next

The true impact of an injury is often measured by the games a player misses. In Doku’s case, the list is already long and worrying for City fans.

Because of the leg injury, Doku has:

• Missed the away match against Crystal Palace, where he was replaced in the squad by Tijjani Reijnders.
• Stayed out of the travelling group for the Champions League trip to Paris Saint-Germain.
• Sat out the home game against Chelsea, which City still won 3-1.
• Been ruled out of the upcoming Champions League clash with Club Brugge.

On top of that, his status for the huge Premier League meeting with Arsenal is in doubt. Guardiola himself admitted after the Chelsea win:

“A while. I don’t know how much. But a while. He will not be ready for Wednesday for sure, I don’t think. For Arsenal, we’ll see.”

“If Doku misses Arsenal as well, our whole attacking plan has to change.”

That “we’ll see” is doing a lot of work. It keeps hope alive, but it also shows how uncertain the situation is. City must now prepare both for life without Doku in the short term and for the possibility that he is still not ready when Arsenal come to town.

A Huge Blow to Manchester City’s Attack

Calling this a “huge injury blow” is not an exaggeration. It is the reality of how important Doku has become to this Manchester City side.

Since joining, Doku has given City something they do not always have in wide areas: raw, direct speed and fearless dribbling. He has already produced 3 goals and 6 assists this season, numbers that only tell half the story of his influence. When he plays, defenders back off, spaces open, and City can attack in more than one way.

His man-of-the-match display against Ipswich showed the full range of his skills. He hugged the touchline at times, but he also drifted inside to link play, break lines and drag defenders out of position. That performance should have been a platform to build on. Instead, it became the game where his injury started.

Without Doku, Guardiola loses:

• A winger who can beat his man one-on-one with ease.
• A player who can stretch packed defences when teams sit deep.
• A source of goals and assists at a time when every chance counts.

For a City side fighting on multiple fronts, these are not small losses. They change how opponents will prepare and how Guardiola will need to solve problems.

Injury Crisis: Doku Joins a Growing List of Absentees

One injury can be managed. Several at once start to shape a season. Doku is not an isolated case; he is part of a wider City injury crisis.

Pep Guardiola has already had to cope without key players such as Nathan Ake, Rodri and Ruben Dias. These are not squad fillers. They are the spine of his team – a central defender, a midfield leader, and a key defender again. Losing them at different times has forced constant changes to the back line and midfield.

Before the Chelsea game, Guardiola laid it out very clearly:

“Ruben and Doku are out. The other players out are [still] out.”

That simple sentence shows the scale of the problem. City are now used to seeing big names on the unavailable list. For a side chasing trophies, that is a serious test of depth and mentality.

“This isn’t just bad luck anymore – it’s a full-on injury storm at City.”

The good news for City is that some players are beginning to return. John Stones made his comeback in the win over Chelsea after more than a month out, bringing calm and class to the defence. New signings like Abdukodir Khusanov have also started to appear, stepping in during the squad shortage and gaining valuable experience.

But Doku’s setback shows that as some doors open, others close. Guardiola must now balance minutes, protect players, and somehow keep performance levels high across all competitions.

How Will Guardiola Adapt Without Doku?

One of Pep Guardiola’s greatest strengths is his ability to adapt his tactics. He will need that skill again now. Without Doku, the front line will look different, and so will the way City attack.

Possible changes include:

• More minutes for traditional wide players who can hold the touchline and cross.
• Greater use of inside forwards who drift into central zones, with full-backs providing the width.
• A slightly slower, more controlled style of build-up, rather than the aggressive, dribble-heavy drives that Doku often leads.

We have already seen how Guardiola responds when he has fewer weapons. He leans more on control, passing and positioning, trusting his midfield to create chances over time. But there is no doubt that he will miss having a player who can simply pick up the ball and run at defenders.

“Doku gives City chaos in a good way – without him, everything might be a bit too safe.”

Opponents will sense an opportunity. Without Doku’s threat, they may feel more confident pushing their lines higher, squeezing the space, and forcing City to play through tighter areas.

Club Confirmation and Media Reaction

Manchester City have handled the Doku news in their usual controlled style. The club website and Guardiola’s press conferences have confirmed the key facts: it is a leg injury, he felt discomfort late against Ipswich, and he will be out for some time. But they have not gone into full medical detail.

Journalists close to the club, such as Simon Bajkowski of the Manchester Evening News, quickly confirmed the nature of the problem and its timing. Wider coverage from outlets like Yardbarker, OneFootball, Goal and others has underlined the same core message: Doku’s leg injury is real, it is serious enough to keep him out, and City will feel it.

Transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano has not been the main source on this particular story, but the overall timeline and multiple confirmations match the style of fast, reliable news that fans have come to expect from him and from the broader football media ecosystem.

What It Means for the Season Ahead

Injuries do not just affect team sheets. They affect mood, confidence and the sense of momentum. For Manchester City, the loss of Jeremy Doku comes at a time when every match seems to carry extra weight – in the league, in Europe, and in the battle for rhythm and belief.

The short-term picture is clear:

• Doku will miss Club Brugge in the Champions League.
• His involvement against Arsenal is uncertain.
• Guardiola must lean even harder on the rest of his squad.

The longer-term question is harder to answer. How long is “a while”? Will Doku return at full speed, ready to run at defenders again? Or will City have to manage his minutes carefully for the rest of the season?

For now, the only certainty is that one of the Premier League’s most thrilling wingers is sidelined just when he seemed ready to explode. City have climbed out of tough stretches before, but doing it again without Doku’s pace and spark will be a major test of their depth, their tactics and their resilience.

The title races and Champions League nights will go on. The big question is whether City can keep winning until their flying winger is back to doing what he does best – turning games with one burst of speed and one sharp change of direction.