Guardiola gutted by Mendy's long layoff

MANCHESTER - Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola fears French fullback Benjamin Mendy faces months on the sidelines with injury and compared his situation to teammate Ilkay Gundogan's nine-month layoff.

Mendy, signed for $67 million from Monaco in the summer, injured his knee during City's weekend win over Crystal Palace and will fly to Barcelona to see Guardiola's personal medical team for tests on Thursday.

City is still not sure about the full extent of the problem but Guardiola nodded when asked if his absence would be measured in months.