Manchester City travel to the Netherlands this week as Pep Guardiola’s men prepare to play against Feyenoord.
When the Champions League groups were drawn, Feyenoord won’t have been a fearful proposition for Manchester City but it’s still a tricky first match to get through.
One bonus for Guardiola could come through misfortune for Feyenoord and their striker Nicolai Jørgensen. After 23 goals and 12 assists last season, Feyenoord were relieved nobody came in for the Danish international, and he’s already opened his scoring account this season.
Unfortunately for the Dutch club he won’t be able to add to that against Manchester City.
De Telegraaf report Jørgensen will miss the match, having been injured at the weekend against Heracles. Jørgensen had to leave the pitch midway through the first half with a muscle injury, and it’s helping add to the artificial pitch controversy in the Netherlands.
As the Eredivisie season was kicking off, Ronald Koeman had his say: “That Everton has a good squad is also proven by the number of requests from Dutch clubs for hiring our young talents. It may be good to explain that Eredivisie clubs who play on artificial grass are out of line with such requests.
“Those clubs are no longer taken seriously in England… I like a real pitch and there are plenty of them. What I saw in the first weekend on artificial turf, it didn’t really look like the Eredivisie. I cannot take it seriously anymore.”
Pep Guardiola will be happy Feyenoord play on actual grass.
