“City Scramble for New Striker as Daka’s Injury Adds to Pre-Season Woes”
City’s need for a new striker has become more urgent after Patson Daka left the field injured during the club’s final pre-season match. With 35 minutes gone in the game against Lens, Daka stretched to reach a cross, only for the home team’s defender Kevin Danso to fall on his leg. Daka appeared to injure his right knee and, although he refused a stretcher, he had to be helped off by two physios.
If Daka’s injury proves to be serious, it would leave City short of options ahead of their Premier League opener against Tottenham. Jamie Vardy is still recovering from a knock he picked up in City’s first pre-season match against Villarreal, having played less than an hour of football throughout the summer and still not returned to training.
This situation leaves Tom Cannon as the squad’s only recognized striker, yet manager Steve Cooper chose not to bring him on. Instead, he opted to introduce Stephy Mavididi, who had started on the bench, to play up front.
Cooper has been discreet about the possibility of signing a new striker, likely trying not to unsettle his current players. However, with attacking midfielder Facundo Buonanotte joining on loan from Brighton on Saturday, signing a new forward might now become the club’s transfer priority.