WOLVES VS CITY: CAN PEP GUARDIOLA FIND A WAY WITHOUT HIS KEY MIDFIELD STARS?
Pep Guardiola addresses Manchester City’s injury crisis, detailing Savinho's return timeline and Mateo Kovacic’s surgery setback.
Pep Guardiola says Savinho could be back in the squad in the next few weeks, and he’s hoping Nico will be available for the Galatasaray match next Wednesday.
Savinho hasn’t played since getting subbed off with a leg injury 51 minutes into the New Year’s Day draw at Sunderland. Nico has missed the last two games, and Mateo Kovacic has barely played at all this season—just two appearances.
Before Saturday’s Premier League game against Wolves, Guardiola gave an update on all three.
“Savinho’s still out. He ran on the pitch yesterday, so maybe two or three weeks, maybe less. I’m not sure,” he said.
“Nico, I hope he can help us against Galatasaray since Rodri’s out, but it’s still up in the air.
“And Kova, I told him after we beat Fulham and qualified for the Champions League—skip the Club World Cup, get your surgery done fast. He played a couple of games, but his bone didn’t heal properly, so he needed another surgery.
“We’ve got three top midfielders. Thankfully, Nico G stepped up for us, but honestly, it is what it is.”
The start of the year hasn’t been easy for Guardiola’s team. They’ve only managed two wins in seven matches across four competitions.
Still, they’re in a decent spot in the Premier League and have a real shot at making the Champions League Round of 16. They’ve reached the FA Cup fourth round and have the edge over Newcastle in the Carabao Cup semi-final.
But after back-to-back losses to Manchester United and Bodo/Glimt, Guardiola points to a mix of reasons behind the recent results. Injuries, he says, have really messed with his plans.
“Football isn’t just about aggression. It’s also what you do with the ball,” he said when asked if the team needs to be tougher physically.
“There’s always something. In one game, they say we lack aggression. Next game, it’s poor passing or bad set-piece defending. A lot is going on. Bodo plays a completely different style, so narrow, especially in their 4-4-2. When the opponent is that narrow, you need wingers. How many wingers did we have against Bodo? Zero.
“So when we’re relying on guys like Nico O’Reilly or Rayan Ait-Nouri—who were both excellent—it’s just not the same without Savinho, Doku, Bobb, and all those wingers.
“We just don’t have the full squad right now. Give me my team; that’s all I ask. When we had everyone fit, we won seven or eight games in a row.
“Now, players come back, and then someone else gets hurt. It’s a cycle.
“I just hope we can hang in there. We’re still in the Carabao Cup semi, the FA Cup, and close to the Champions League knockouts. When March comes, all I want is my team back. After that, I promise we’ll be right there—after all, we’ve spent a lot of money.”
THE REAL: REASON JEREMY DOKU BELIEVES THE NEXT FOUR GAMES WILL DEFINE CITY’S SEASON
Jeremy Doku praises City's pride after Bernardo Silva's red card, eyeing redemption in Sunday's Carabao Cup final.
Jérémy Doku sees winning the Carabao Cup as a helpful way for Manchester City to bounce back from their Champions League disappointment. After being knocked out by Real Madrid for the third consecutive year, with a 5-1 aggregate loss in the round of 16, the team faces a tough challenge to regroup quickly.
Pep Guardiola's squad now has to shift focus to their upcoming trip to Wembley, where they’ll take on Arsenal on Sunday. Despite the setback in Europe, Doku feels that lifting a trophy this week would help erase the recent frustration.
He said, “It’s a good way to recover. We’ll do everything we can to win that game and bring home a trophy. The next four matches really matter. We have to recover well for Sunday and then take it one game at a time.”
What lies ahead will likely define the city's season. After the Carabao Cup final, they face an FA Cup quarterfinal against Liverpool following the international break, as well as two critical Premier League games against Chelsea and Arsenal.
“There’s still plenty at stake,” Doku added. “We’re competing in three different competitions, with three trophies still on the table. If we manage to win one, it’ll still be a strong season for us. Of course, missing out on the Champions League is disappointing. It’s always a special trophy. But we have to learn from those games against Real Madrid, recover properly, and focus on what’s next.”
City endured a tough week, following a 3-0 loss in Madrid with a narrow 2-1 defeat at the Etihad. One pivotal moment was Bernardo Silva’s early red card in the second leg.
Yet, Doku draws some confidence from how the team performed despite being down to 10 men against such a formidable opponent.
“We have reasons to be proud,” he reflected. “Playing against a team like Real Madrid with one less player and still causing them problems isn’t something every team can do. We didn’t get the win, but we can look each other in the eye knowing we gave a good performance both with 11 players and with 10. We created chances and played well.”
He went on to say, “If we bring that kind of effort to every match, we’ll trouble many teams. There are valuable takeaways from this game that we can carry into the next.”
WHY PEP GUARDIOLA CANCELLED TRAINING BEFORE MANCHESTER CITY’S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE REMATCH
Pep Guardiola cancels Manchester City training to combat fatigue ahead of the 3-0 comeback attempt vs Real Madrid.
Pep Guardiola has shared his reasoning for skipping training the day before Manchester City’s crucial Champions League last-16 second leg against Real Madrid at the Etihad. Facing a tough three-goal deficit from their 3-0 loss at the Bernabeu last week, City are up against the difficult task of overturning this against a team that has won Europe’s top trophy 15 times.
Historically, only four teams have managed to claw back a gap of three or more goals in the knockout stages, so the challenge ahead is immense. Guardiola acknowledges his players will need to deliver an almost flawless performance if they hope to stage a remarkable comeback on home turf. Still, he remains hopeful they will create plenty of scoring chances against Alvaro Arbeloa’s side.
In a somewhat unexpected move, Guardiola has decided to give his first team a day off on Monday, opting for a light session just hours before kickoff on Tuesday. At Monday’s press conference, he explained the logic behind this approach, citing the fatigue from travel and recent matches. After returning late from Madrid, then heading to London for a Premier League draw against West Ham, the players have had a packed schedule. Guardiola feels a day of rest will serve them better than trying to squeeze in more training.
He further emphasised the mental aspect, pointing out that mental strength plays a big role in how well they perform. He plans to assess the players’ condition and conduct training on Tuesday afternoon. With travel taking its toll and players spontaneously connecting with their families, he believes keeping them relaxed and fresh is crucial.
Captain Bernardo Silva, who was the only City player present for media duties, supported Guardiola’s decision. He reflected on past occasions when the team took rest days following both wins and losses, trusting the manager’s judgement to help them regroup and come back stronger.
On team news, Guardiola revealed he has most of his starting lineup settled, though one spot remains uncertain. Josko Gvardiol (tibial fracture) and Rico Lewis (ankle) are sidelined, but Mateo Kovacic has returned to the bench after recovering from a lengthy ankle and heel injury. With these preparations in place, City will be charging into a daunting but pivotal night against one of Europe’s giants.
