Man City are awaiting word of three players, with Jack Grealish joining Josko Gvardiol on the sidelines.
Pep Guardiola could be missing four players when Man City face Chelsea, with Bernardo Silva awaiting a late fitness test.
The status of Silva, who took a hit during this week’s 3-1 Champions League victory against FC Copenhagen, will be evaluated in training on Friday. In the upcoming weeks, Jack Grealish, who was also substituted out of the match due to a groin injury, will hopefully make a comeback.
Midweek saw the absence of Mateo Kovacic, Sergio Gomez, and Josko Gvardiol from the matchday squad while they attended to their ailments. Due to an ankle ligament injury, Gvardiol will be out for several weeks, and although the other two are returning to training, it is unclear if they will be fit for Saturday.
Guardiola stated on Friday, “I believe Jack won’t be ready, and Bernardo will be evaluated during the training session.”” At least Kova has resumed training, and Sergio has returned. “When we get there, we’ll see the rest.”
Despite City’s 11-game winning streak across all competitions, Guardiola thinks his squad will face one of the most challenging opponents of the year.
It’s one of the hardest games we have left till the end of the season, and they’re an amazing team in every way. They’ve been playing extremely well lately,” he remarked.
“They possess everything—intense, superior quality. It’s hard to find a player who can lose the ball, and most teams are defined by their inability to do so.”