Ederson ready to face Chelsea as Sane and Laporte step up comeback efforts

Leroy Sane and Aymeric Laporte have returned to Manchester City‘s Etihad Campus as they step up their recoveries from serious injuries.

And the Premier League champions have been given a further boost with goalkeeper Ederson set to return from injury for Saturday’s clash with Chelsea.

However, City have not yet put a timescale on the return of Sane and Laporte, with neither player back working with a ball yet.

Sane, 23, has been in Los Angeles with City staff for part of his rehabilitation after damaging his anterior cruciate knee ligaments in the Community Shield in August.

The club are hoping he can be back in time for the start of the knockout stages of the Champions League, which begin in February, as his doctors in Austria and at City have been pleased with his progress.

The German international had been a target for Bayern Munich in the summer transfer window before his injury and there have been reports that the Bundesliga champions could consider making a bid for him in January.

Sane was treated by Dr Christian Fink, a specialist he has previously worked with while playing for Germany who is also Bayern’s preferred doctor.

City normally send players who require surgery to Dr Ramon Cugat in Barcelona, as they did with Laporte.

The 25-year-old had an operation in September after damaging his cartilage and lateral meniscus in the 4-0 victory over Brighton and has been splitting his rehabilitation between Spain and Manchester.

City manager Pep Guardiola said after Laporte’s surgery that he hoped he could be back in January or February.

Meanwhile, Ederson has been training with the first-team squad after missing the 3-1 defeat at Liverpool on November 10 with a thigh strain.

The Brazilian goalkeeper also missed the international friendlies with Argentina and South Korea after suffering the injury in the Champions League draw with Atalanta earlier this month.

Guardiola revealed that he did not expect Ederson’s injury to rule him out for long.

But it forced him to play reserve keeper Claudio Bravo at Anfield in a defeat that left City nine points behind in the title race.