Pep Guardiola kicking off first season as Manchester City boss without £90million of new signings
Germany winger Leroy Sane and Ilkay Gundogan are injured while Gabriel Jesus and Marlos Moreno are out on loan
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PEP GUARDIOLA is likely to kick off his Manchester City reign without £90million worth of summer signings.
Germany winger Leroy Sane, 20, who moved to the Etihad last week from Schalke for £37m has got a hamstring problem.
He was unlikely to start the opening couple of games because of his late arrival and his involvement at Euro 2016 but it now looks as if he will not play any part at all.
He has joined fellow German new boy Ilkay Gundogan, 25, in the club’s treatment room.
In addition, £28.6m Brazilian kid Gabriel Jesus, 19, is staying at Palmeiras until December while £4.75m buy Marlos Moreno, 19, from Colombian outfit Atletico Nacional has headed straight out on loan to Deportivo.
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So for all the money spent by Guardiola since he arrived from Bayern Munich, he will have just £47.5m recruit from Everton John Stones, 22, and Nolito, 29, who cost £13.8m from Celta, of his major new faces to call on for the big kick-off.
Ukranian Oleksandr Zinchenko, 19, could be in the squad but is being lined up for a loan move this season.
City host Sunderland in their Premier League opener on Saturday then face a Champions League qualifier against Steaua Bucharest in Romania on Tuesday.
Guardiola has called the European tie the ‘most important game for our season’ and he is desperate to qualify for the group stages after City reached the semi-finals last season.