Who's missing? The one who's missing gets embarrassed! Someone starts stirring things up after a big win!

Although the latest technology introduced by Gracie from the University of Manchester helped Tang Long alleviate the pain from his back injury.

However, this is only a temporary solution and not a cure.

To fundamentally avoid this, it's not enough to just recover from the injury; you also need to strengthen your muscles through training.

After training that day, assistant coach Rayne called Tang Long to the head coach's office and placed a report on the table in front of Pellegrini.

"Tang, your lower back muscle inflammation is largely related to your inability to adapt to the high-intensity physicality of the Premier League. I could tell in the first round that you were struggling against Guarin. But in England, every team has a player like Guarin, some even have several, especially the mid-to-lower-table teams. They play the traditional English long-ball style, which is technically rough, but they make their living by their physicality."

Tang Long picked up the report.

This is a report about my physical condition, based on my performance in two Premier League matches totaling over 90 minutes. It is signed by the physical trainer and the medical officer.

Rayne then took out an iPad and opened the digital version.

"This digital version also includes the corresponding videos, which I'll send to you later. It records all the physical contact from your two matches."

Rayne began to analyze.

"You do some things very well, such as using your dribbling skills to avoid opponents' collisions, and timely passing is also a good way to divert the opponent's attention."

"But sometimes, in those 50/50 situations where you have to push hard, if you're not strong enough in the physical battle, like against Guarin at Tottenham Hotspur, look here..."

The footage shown was of Tang Long being bumped by Guarin's shoulder.

This was the first time Tang Long had seen the replay. He only remembered that he didn't feel anything at the time, but after the match, he found a bruise on his shoulder.

"This Guarin's body is like a rock; it's really impossible to bump into it," Tang Long said.

"That's why he can play as a defensive midfielder in the Premier League. Look at our team, Yaya Toure, Fernando, Fernandinho, they all have this kind of build," Rayne said.

The scene continues; Guarin, who had just finished fighting Guarin Tang Long, collided with Yaya Toure.

Facing Toure, who was a head taller than him, he wasn't intimidated at all; instead, he knocked Toure over.

"In Serie A, such a powerful collision would stop the game from the perspective of protecting the players, and the referee might even issue a yellow card if he is being cautious," assistant coach Rayne continued. "But in the Premier League, to ensure the smooth flow of the game and thus increase viewership, this is not a problem, because the audience likes to watch this kind of rugby-style confrontation and doesn't like the game being frequently interrupted by fouls."

Tang Long pondered to himself that when he played for Inter Milan, Guarin always complained about the referees calling fouls on him, and he often got into verbal and physical altercations with them because opponents would easily fall to the ground during challenges. He would even accuse them of diving. As a result, many people in the team said that Guarin was a reckless man.

In retrospect, Guarin's recklessness in Serie A has become an advantage after he came to the Premier League, making him a truly solid defensive midfielder!

Different leagues have different officiating styles, and these differences subtly influence a team's tactical deployment and a player's understanding of boundaries during physical confrontations.

Some actions are neither right nor wrong; what is right in the Premier League is wrong in Serie A, and vice versa.

Seeing Tang Long lost in thought, Pellegrini assumed he was upset and gently comforted him, saying:

"Rayne was just kindly reminding you and pointing out your shortcomings, Tang. Don't worry too much. Guarin's frame is naturally bigger than yours, and his muscle mass is also greater. Even our team's strongest player, Yaya Toure, can't gain an advantage against him, let alone you. Moreover, I've observed that in balls that are evenly matched, you fight for every ball and are always the first to back down. This shows your determination in physical confrontations!"

He then told his assistant, Rayne, "Although the Premier League emphasizes physical confrontation, referees still have extra protection measures for technically skilled players. Silva's physique is not as good as Tang's, but he has played in the Premier League for so many years, hasn't he? Tang has just arrived here, and the referees are not yet familiar with his playing style. I will try my best to emphasize the protection of Tang in the pre-match and post-match press conferences."

Rayne nodded quickly and echoed:

"Boss, you're right. If Yaya Toure can't do it, then Tang certainly can't. We can't force him to do something he can't do. What I mean is, we can create a special physical enhancement plan for Tang to help him better adapt to the Premier League and reduce injuries like muscle inflammation."

Pelle said, "That's right, that's exactly what I mean, Don. You were bought for a club record transfer fee. I'm not saying this to put pressure on you, just to remind you that your health is very important to us. You see, we're going to play Newcastle away next game, and you might not be able to catch up."

As Tang Long walked downstairs from his office, he looked up at the vast expanse of white sky.

This is typical Britain weather; even when it's not raining, there's little sunshine, and it's gloomy, unlike Italy in Southern Europe, where people are currently enjoying the scorching Mediterranean sun.

Having just emerged from the media storm sparked by the Milner incident, Tang Long was then struck by injuries.

Injuries are the most feared difficulty for all players; they are far more disheartening than a poor performance on the field.

A poor performance can be addressed by adjusting one's mindset and changing one's approach, but the recovery from an injury is not something that can be changed by the player's personal will.

As long as he stays on the field, there's a chance for a comeback; but lying in a hospital bed, all he can do is worry helplessly.

Tang Long recalled that when he played for Inter Milan, he did not suffer any injuries and played every single game in the later stages.

After arriving in the Premier League and playing only two games, he developed inflammation of his lower back muscles.

A major reason for this is the lack of physical contact, leading to an imbalance in muscle strength.

Tang Long walked down the small street. The shop signs and posters on both sides were all in English, no longer the familiar Latin letters.

Fish and chips shops are now ubiquitous, no longer just the coffee shops that dot the streets of Italy.

Passing through a shop window, I saw a television inside playing Premier League highlights. ESPN's fluent and steady English commentary was unlike the frantic shouts and comical screams of Italy commentators.

The pedestrians on the street were taller than the Italy, walking hurriedly with indifferent expressions, all heads down and minding their own business.

After turning a corner, several chubby, red-faced UK boys shouted some slang he couldn't understand at Tang Long, then ran away laughing.

For a fleeting moment, Tang Long suddenly wondered if he had stayed at Inter Milan, in that familiar environment—the familiar food, the familiar weather, the familiar stadium, the familiar people, and the familiar fans—wouldn't so many troubles have come knocking on his door?

However, this thought, like a sliver of sunlight occasionally filtering through a gap in the clouds, vanished in an instant.

Staying in a comfortable rural area only makes one a flower in a greenhouse.

A ship that never leaves the harbor will never see the turbulent sea; every courageous step taken in one's professional career embodies the sporting spirit of pursuing higher, faster, and stronger achievements.

Moreover, I'm not the only one who came to play in the Premier League from Inter Milan; there are eight of them.

If they can play well, why can't I?

Nagatomo Yuto is shorter and not as strong as me, but he's still doing incredibly well on the wing in Norwich!

Then consider Silva, the team's most physically weak player. Since joining in 2010, his season attendance rate has never been lower than 40 games, with a maximum of 53 games in one year, and he has never been injured to the point of being unable to play.

Therefore, Tang Long believes it's still a matter of adaptation.

Asia players generally have smaller frames than their European counterparts, so they need to work harder to keep up in physical duels.

"Back when I was first promoted from Inter Milan's youth team to the first team, Coach Chivu also gave me a physical fitness improvement plan. A year later, I came to Manchester City and had to do the same thing again. Perhaps this is fate," Tang Long thought to himself.

In the past few days, Tang Long has been receiving treatment for his lower back muscle inflammation while undergoing individual strength rehabilitation training under the guidance of the physical trainer, following the training plan provided by assistant coach Rayne. He has not been training with the rest of the team.

Gracie is indeed a top student from the University of Manchester Medical School, and the treatment equipment he introduced is quite sophisticated.

Under continuous electroconvulsive therapy, Tang Long's lower back pain was greatly reduced, and the muscle inflammation was suppressed, preventing it from spreading further to his back and gradually shrinking.

Compared to Gracie's gentle words and soft, cotton-like hands in the physiotherapy room, the gym's strength and conditioning coach Sanchez, was far less gentle.

He has followed Pellegrini since his time coaching Real Madrid. He is known for his strict training methods, which many players fear. However, it is precisely his strictness that has benefited many players throughout their lives.

"Your back is fine, it's just a slight strain. The strength training I'm giving you is gradual, so don't worry!"

"What, tired? Is this the level of training Inter Milan has always had? No wonder they're struggling so much to even qualify for the UEFA Champions League!"

"Look at Agüero. In the 2013-2014 season, he only made 23 league appearances because of the same back injury as you. In the second season, I decisively increased the intensity of his physical training. As a result, he made 33 appearances, scored 26 goals, and won the Premier League Golden Boot!"

"Train with me hard. You're not even 20 yet, you have a lot of room for muscle development. I have high hopes for you, young man!"

Tang Long missed Manchester City's away game against Newcastle in the third round of the Premier League due to a back injury that is still recovering.

Strangely enough, Manchester City won a big victory in this match despite Tang Long's absence.

The 4-0 victory not only saw more goals than in the previous two matches, but also marked the first clean sheet of the new season.

David Silva, who moved from the wing to the center to replace Tang Long, performed brilliantly, contributing two goals and two assists, and was also named the Premier League Player of the Round.

After the match, a reporter asked him with ulterior motives, "How does it feel to play Tang Long's position for the first time this season?"

Silva, being a veteran player, naturally wouldn't fall for their tricks. Although secretly pleased, feeling he played better than Don, he still said, "Don is an excellent player, and we all look forward to his return from injury. I'm satisfied with my performance today, but it wouldn't have been possible without the help of my teammates. More than my own performance, I'm happy that the team won an away game, after all, St. James' Park is never a good place to play."

However, despite Silva's caution, he couldn't stop the British media from pretending to be oblivious and deliberately stirring up trouble!

Daily Star headline: [Silva: I'm happy playing in Dom's position, and I can lead the team to victory]

Daily Express headline: [Manchester City's clean sheet victory is embarrassing without any of their key players!]

To be honest, Manchester City's 4-0 away victory over Newcastle was partly due to the unrealistic expectations of Newcastle's new manager, McClaren, who, relying on a win and a draw to start the season and the summer signings of attacking talents like Wijnaldum and Mitrovic, thought he could put up an attacking battle with Manchester City at home.

But more importantly, after the first two league games, Manchester City's players have begun to find their rhythm and are getting into form.

Seeing Milner leave, Sterling, feeling relieved, performed exceptionally well, scoring a one-on-one goal assisted by Silva just 10 minutes into the game!

However, the public doesn't pay attention to these things; they prefer to dig into the "stories" behind them because readers love to read them.

Especially for clubs like Manchester City that have risen to prominence in a short period of time, many competitors feel that a piece of the pie they used to have easily secured has been taken away for no reason, and they are extremely unhappy about it.

After Arsenal's comfortable 2-0 away win against Southampton, securing their third consecutive victory, Professor Wenger was in high spirits. When asked by reporters about Tang Long, he broke with his usual rule of never discussing players from other teams and spoke candidly about him.

"Tang's injury? I've seen the reports. I've coached many Asia players, and they all share a common problem: they think they can compensate for physical deficiencies with technique. That's unrealistic in the Premier League. The midfield is a player's core strength area, which means he needs to strengthen his core muscles."

"Who poses a greater threat to us, Silva or Dom? Podolski and Dom were teammates for half a year, and he often talks to me about Dom's magic. However, I personally think Silva is a more mature player, and based on past encounters, he has been our most threatening midfield opponent. I don't know if my opinion will change after we play Manchester City in the next round, but at least that's what I think now."

The Sun, on the other hand, is imaginative and fully demonstrates the essence of journalism.

They fabricated a completely unfounded report, claiming that Tang Long's lumbar muscle injury was caused by his excessive indulgence, which resulted in him accidentally twisting his waist.

"Joining Manchester City at a young age and earning the fourth-highest salary in the team at Pound Sterling 180,000 a week, Don immediately attracted the attention of many UK women! It's said he once had three women accompany him in one night, and then two more in the middle of the night – a five-on-one situation! How could his back muscles possibly cope? Apparently, in China, there's a muscle in the lower back called the 'hip flexor muscle.' Although I couldn't find a direct English equivalent, according to some sources, Don's back injury is very likely in this muscle!"