Manchester City Goalkeeper Ederson Suffers Fractured Eye Socket, Out for Season

Ederson suffered a fractured eye socket

In the 70th minute of the Premier League match against Tottenham Hotspur, Pep Guardiola made a crucial decision that surprised many in the stadium: he asked for a change of goalkeeper. Ederson, visibly upset, left the field to be replaced by Stefan Ortega Moreno after suffering a blow to the face.

However, the Catalan coach’s decision ended up being the correct one since now, hours after the match, it was confirmed that the Brazilian will miss Manchester City’s crucial end of the season due to an eye injury.

The news was announced by the club through an official statement on their social networks: “We can confirm that Ederson will miss the last two games of the season due to a small fracture in his eye socket. “Everyone at the club wishes Ederson a speedy recovery.” This brief statement dispelled any hope that the 30-year-old goalkeeper would be available for the two decisive matches ahead.

The incident that caused Ederson’s injury occurred in the last match against Tottenham, where Manchester City won 0-2. At 25 minutes into the second half, the goalkeeper came out to try to cut out a cross and it was at that moment when he involuntarily collided with Cristian Romero. The Argentine’s leg hit the Brazilian’s face squarely, and he was left lying on the grass until the medical staff entered the field.

Following that blow, Guardiola decided to replace him with German goalkeeper Stefan Ortega, who became the hero of the match by making crucial saves from Dejan Kulusevski and Heung-min Son.

Stefan Ortega, a German of Spanish origin, will now have the responsibility of being the starting goalkeeper for the citizens in the last two games of the season. First, they will face West Ham on the final day of the 2023-2024 Premier League, where a victory would give them their fourth consecutive Premier League. Subsequently, City will play against its classic rival Manchester United in the FA Cup final, which will be a repeat of last year’s tournament final, which ended with a 2-1 victory for Guardiola’s pupils and which had Stefan Ortega under sticks.

Ederson’s injury was not only a surprise to the fans but also to the player himself. Moments before being substituted, he had an exchange with Guardiola on the touchline, appearing reluctant to leave the field. “I couldn’t see well (in one eye), so the doctor said I had to change,” Pep Guardiola explained in the post-match press conference, in addition to understanding 100% the anger the footballer felt after being substituted.

Even with Ederson out, the Spanish coach shows great confidence in Ortega. “Stefan Ortega, one-on-one, is one of the best goalkeepers I have ever seen in my life,” he emphasized, highlighting the German goalkeeper’s skill. Despite not having continuous training, Ortega has proven to be a high-quality substitute, having stood out in several competitions since he arrived at the club.

Ederson faces an intense few weeks, since he is also called up to represent Brazil in the Copa América. At the moment, the injury appears to be a “lesser evil” for his national team compared to the potential impact of the loss on the club’s performance in local competitions.

Ederson was replaced during the second half after the impact (Reuters)
2024-05-16 15:16:14
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