Ederson: Injured Man City goalkeeper to miss Premier League title decider and FA Cup final
Manchester City have confirmed that Ederson will miss both the last day of the Premier League season and looming FA Cup final through injury.
Scans have determined that Pep Guardiola’s first-choice goalkeeper sustained a small fracture in his right eye socket after colliding painfully with Spurs defender Cristian Romero at the back post during Tuesday night’s crucial 2-0 win over Tottenham.
Ederson was treated at length on the pitch at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, initially allowed to play on before being replaced - much to his unhappiness - a few minutes later by deputy Stefan Ortega, who then made a couple of huge one-on-one saves to help City to the brink of an unprecedented fourth consecutive Premier League title thanks to Erling Haaland’s brace.
Guardiola insisted after the game that Ederson, who sported a black eye, was not concussed in the collision with Romero, with the eye problem affecting his vision instead leading to the change amid criticism from some quarters over City’s initial handling of the injury.
Ortega will continue to deputise for Ederson on the final day of the 2023/24 top-flight season this weekend, when City host West Ham at the Etihad Stadium knowing that a win - or a failure by title rivals Arsenal to beat Everton in north London - would deliver their sixth domestic championship in the last seven years.
The German will also step into the fray again at Wembley on May 25, when City will look to make it back-to-back FA Cup successes in a repeat of last year’s final against cross-city foes Manchester United.
“Manchester City can confirm that Ederson will miss the final two games of the season due to a small fracture of his eye socket,” City said in a statement on Thursday.
“The Brazilian goalkeeper suffered the injury during our 2-0 win at Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday evening. He has since undergone scans of the affected area that have revealed a small fracture to the right eye socket.
“The injury will prevent Ederson from playing any further part in the remaining games of the 2023/24 season. Everyone at the Club wishes Ederson a speedy recovery.”
City are not expected to have any other injury concerns ahead of West Ham’s visit on the final day, with Kevin De Bruyne having recently allayed fears over an Achilles complaint suffered after a challenge from Pape Matar Sarr in the second half against Tottenham that saw him promptly replaced by Jeremy Doku.
"I think I'm alright," the Belgian playmaker said. "The place in the Achilles is really sore. It felt a little bit like a knife in the moment I had the impact, but it's an impact so it's not bad. I'll be alright."
