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Manchester City fans can breathe a sigh of relief. As of Friday afternoon, February 27, 2026, Pep Guardiola has officially confirmed that Jeremy Doku returned to first-team training yesterday.
The Belgian international has been sidelined for over a month after suffering a calf injury during City's 2–0 Champions League win over Galatasaray in late January. His return comes at a pivotal moment as City look to close the five-point gap on Premier League leaders Arsenal.
The Fitness Update: Will He Face Leeds?
While the news is positive, Pep remained his typical, cautious self during today's pre-match press conference ahead of the trip to Elland Road.
The Return: Doku completed his first full session with the group on Thursday, February 26.
The Decision: Pep stated: "Yesterday he made the first training. I don’t know [if he will play], we’ll talk with the doctors after."
The "Savinho" Precedent: Earlier this month, Savinho also returned to the grass but was given an extra week to build match fitness before returning to the matchday squad. Doku may follow a similar path.
Jeremy Doku,Returned to Training,Feb 28 (Leeds) or March 4 (Forest)
Savinho,Fully Fit,Available now
Ruben Dias,Fully Fit,Available now
Mateo Kovačić,Individual Training,Late March / April
Joško Gvardiol, (Tibial Fracture),April / May
Pep's Tactical Boost: In Doku's absence, January signings Antoine Semenyo and Rayan Cherki have carried the creative load. Having Doku back gives City that "1v1 chaos" factor they've lacked in tight games recently.
The Verdict: Doku is unlikely to start at Elland Road tomorrow given Pep’s history of easing wingers back in, but a 15-minute cameo from the bench is definitely on the cards. His return makes City's bench look significantly more dangerous as they hunt down Arsenal.