Pep Guardiola has shared the latest injury updates on the Manchester City squad ahead of their Premier League Super Sunday clash against Chelsea.
The EFL Cup champions travel to Stamford Bridge in strong form after a run of impressive results and will be looking to build on that momentum against an inconsistent Chelsea side.
However, Guardiola’s side will be without some key players in defence with Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol both ruled out, while there is still some doubt surrounding the participation of John Stones.
Dias has been out of action since suffering a hamstring injury during the Champions League Round of 16 defeat to Real Madrid, which forced him to be substituted at halftime.
Although he is making good progress, the defender has not recovered in time for Sunday’s game.
“He’s getting better. He’s not ready for Sunday”, Guardiola said in Friday’s press conference in quotes revealed by the official Manchester City website.
Gvardiol, on the other hand, has been sidelined since early January after breaking his tibia in the 1-1 draw with Chelsea.
The Croatian defender underwent surgery and is still some way off a return, although he could be back before the end of the season.
“He’s getting better, but still, he isn’t close.”
Stones, however, is expected to undergo partial training and could make his return to action in Sunday’s clash against Chelsea.
The England international has endured another injury-hit campaign, which has limited him to just seven appearances in the Premier League.
“Today, maybe he will do partial training, we’ll see”, the Spaniard added.
There is better news in midfield, as Mateo Kovacic is now fully fit and could make his only his third appearance of the season.
The midfielder has recovered from an Achilles problem that required surgery and has already been named on the bench in recent matches.
“He’s fine”, Guardiola concluded.
Manchester City head into this fixture with an impressive record against Chelsea, currently unbeaten in their last 12 meetings across all competitions.
The Cityzens will be hoping to extend that run and secure another crucial victory as they continue to chase down league leaders Arsenal.
