MANCHESTER, Aug 31 — Manchester City defender Aymeric Laporte was stretchered off in the first-half of the Premier League champions’ clash with Brighton today, making him a major doubt for France’s upcoming Euro 2020 qualifiers.

Laporte was finally rewarded for his fantastic form over the past year for City with a first call-up to the French squad since March 2017 for the double header against Albania and Andorra next month.

The 25-year-old is yet to be capped at international level and had previously been courted to switch his allegiance to Spain, having come through Athletic Bilbao’s academy.

Laporte had treatment to his knee before being carried off after bringing down Brighton’s Adam Webster.

Should he be ruled out for a lengthy period of time, his presence will be desperately missed by Pep Guardiola’s men, who did not sign a centre-back in the summer to compensate for former captain Vincent Kompany’s departure to take charge of Anderlecht.

Guardiola was forced to field holding midfielder Fernandinho at centre-back for the second-half at home to the Seagulls. — AFP