Manchester City faced a setback with a 3-1 loss at Bodo/Glimt in the Champions League on Tuesday, highlighting the vital role right-back Matheus Nunes plays in Pep Guardiola's squad.
The 27-year-old was sidelined due to the flu, missing the recent derby defeat against Manchester United at Old Trafford as well.
Nunes has been a crucial player for the team, starting 17 of Manchester City's matches in the Premier League this season.
Matheus Nunes Illness Latest Ahead of Manchester City vs Wolves
Manchester City has struggled without Nunes, recording two losses and one win in the three league games where he didn't play in the 2025-26 season. Similarly, they only managed one win in three Champions League matches without him.
As City prepares to host an improving Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday, the uncertainty around Nunes' condition looms following a disappointing defeat in Norway.
While the club has not indicated that Nunes will require more than a week for recovery, there is cautious optimism that he will be eligible for selection against Wolves come Saturday.
He will undergo an assessment before Guardiola finalizes his lineup and will surely be keen to confront his former teammates when the Old Gold visits the Etihad Stadium.
Nunes, originally from Brazil and a current Portuguese international, made his move from Sporting CP to Wolves in 2022 before being acquired by Manchester City after a standout season at Molineux, for a reported fee of £53 million. He has increasingly proven his worth to City over the years, contributing to their Premier League title win and consistently maintaining a starting position in subsequent campaigns.
This season has been challenging for City in matches without Nunes, suffering defeats against Bayer Leverkusen, Bodo/Glimt, Manchester United, and Tottenham Hotspur, with two of those losses on home turf.
The former Wolves player has faced his old club five times since joining City, initially losing at Molineux but then securing victories in the following four encounters, all within the Premier League.
Manchester City dominated those matches with a whopping 12-2 aggregate scoreline, including a significant 5-1 victory at home in the 2023-24 season and a 4-0 win at Wolves for the start of the 2025-26 season.
Nunes made a brief appearance in one of these matches, coming off the bench to play 24 minutes after replacing Rico Lewis in defense.
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