Pep Guardiola has been left hoping that Eric Garcia can make a speedy recovery after the young Manchester City defender suffered a sickening injury against Arsenal.
Garcia, a surprise pick to start alongside Aymeric Laporte ahead of Fernandinho, Nicolas Otamendi and John Stones, had enjoyed a solid game when the centre-back was clattered by City goalkeeper Ederson as they both tried to react to a long ball over the top from Arsenal stopper Bernd Leno.
City players surrounded Garcia and medical staff spent more than five minutes with the 19-year-old assessing him and then moving him onto a stretcher in what was a sombre way to end what had been a comfortable evening on the pitch for the hosts.
Guardiola was told by the doctor that the player was conscious before going off to hospital.
"We are concerned about Eric of course. He is conscious but I think he is going to be tested tonight because a kick in the head is always so dangerous," he said.
The doctor told me he was conscious and they asked me to be with you. I'm pretty sure we're going to do absolutely everything to be sure that everything is fine and well."
Garcia had impressed in training when the players came back from their time in lockdown, and has regularly caught the eye of the manager because of the lack of mistakes he makes.
Given the threat Arsenal posed, the teenager was thought to be the best option alongside Laporte to combat the threat of Mikel Arteta's side.
Eric came back incredibly well in this period. He is so smart, intelligent to play in the line," he said.
"It was not easy to play against [Pierre-Emerick] Aubameyang and the young Arsenal striker but he is a guy who trains really well. He understands well and this season when we play, especially on Boxing Day, he played always good.
"He doesn't make mistakes, he's always focused and this game we knew we would play against dynamic, fast players. Against Burnley it is a different type of game with their strikers and we need another type of player but for this game we thought he was the right guy to play alongside Laporte and he played really good."
