Kevin De Bruyne injury, Riyad Mahrez and Ilkay Gundogan exits mean Man City are weaker than Treble team - Rio Ferdinand

Rio Ferdinand believes Manchester City are a weaker team than last season’s after an injury to Kevin De Bruyne and Riyad Mahrez and Ilkay Gundogan leaving.

De Bruyne suffered a relapse of his hamstring injury with the start of the Premier League season which will see him miss three or four months, and the absence of the 32-year-old - perhaps City’s most influential player - is exacerbated by squad turnover in the summer.

Mahrez departed for the Saudi Pro League, and Gundogan has joined Barcelona on a free transfer.

City continue to be linked with West Ham’s Lucas Paqueta, who could step in, while Mateo Kovacic is unlikely to be a direct replacement for De Bruyne.

Speaking on TNT Sports ahead of the Super Cup match between City and Sevilla on Wednesday night in Athens, the former Manchester United defender suggested City are not as strong as they were when they won the treble last season.

He said: “I think when you lose a player of his significance, he was a talisman, he was a leader. If it wasn’t Gundogan, if it wasn’t [Erling] Haaland, it was Kevin De Bruyne, so they’ve lost that, this is going to be a big season for that, obviously trying to win the league for the fourth consecutive season, which has never been done before.

“I would argue that this City team is weaker now than it was last season. When you lose the goals and assists of Mahrez, Gundogan and De Bruyne, those three players, and what have they brought in to replace those goals? [Cole] Palmer will have to chip in with a lot of goals to mask that, [Jack] Grealish will have to step up.

Joleon Lescott agreed, and added: “Grealish was outstanding last season, maybe he’ll have to improve, hopefully Phil Foden is able to stay fit.”

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