Pep Guardiola has spoken to the media ahead of Manchester City’s trip to Merseyside on Monday night.
Read all about each topic the manager has covered below.
Ruben Dias and Rodri are still injured
Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Guardiola confirmed that both Rodri and Ruben Dias are on the road to recovery.
Despite this, neither of the first-team stars are going to be in the squad against Everton, even after what will have been a nine-day gap since the Southampton victory.
Guardiola said: “He [Rodri] is getting better, still didn’t train with us. He [Dias] is not yet with the team, but he is getting better.”
One positive piece of news is that Stones has not suffered any further setbacks after completing 90 minutes in the FA Cup semi-final.
This means the 31-year-old could have some involvement when City take on his former club on Bank Holiday Monday.
“He was best played by far in the final in Istanbul,” Guardiola said. “Now he feels fit, hopefully he can find physically the rhythm to be ready and like Bernardo [Silva] said, part of ourselves, not just me, is leaving.
“He is an incredible person on and off the pitch.”
Pep Guardiola has no complaints with Man City’s next match
Having to play more than 48 hours after Arsenal could be a blow for City, especially considering they are already behind the league leaders.
However, Guardiola is content with what his team must do and he accepts the situation is out of his hands.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference, the manager said: “It is normal, it is the calendar. Sometimes you play first, sometimes you play behind.
“It is what it is. Arsenal are in the Champions League semi-final, so it is what it is. When we won the treble, we had a similar calendar, but I learned a long time ago not to expect anything different. We have to adapt and take it game by game.”
Asked about PSG having fixtures in Ligue 1 postponed, he added: “It can happen in other countries, but here it is what it is. We have to adapt. If you don’t like it, go and train in France or Portugal.
“I like being here, and I’ve said many times – when I was at Barcelona and saw managers here complain about the schedule – it has always been like this. So I never expected anything different.”
Premier League 2 fixture tonight
Defending Premier League 2 champions Manchester City under-21s face Aston Villa in the play-off quarter-finals on Friday night.
A 3-0 win against Norwich in their final league game meant Ben Wilkinson’s City under-21s finished the season third in the PL2 table.
The young Cityzens beat Arsenal 3-1 in their opening play-off fixture, setting up a quarter-final tie against Villa.
Marc Guehi loving life at Manchester City
Speaking to Man City, Guehi discussed life at the club so far, and how welcoming the club and local supporters have been since he joined.
Guehi said: “I’ve enjoyed it. Everyone’s been super welcoming. I’ve been learning a lot, different things. And obviously we’re competing for titles, I’m just grateful – it’s a blessing being here.
“I just want to get my head down, work, help the guys. I want to help this club continue reaching heights it has.”
He continued: “Manchester’s nice. I didn’t know too much about the city before, but since I’ve been here, everyone’s been super welcoming and there’s so many different food spots and things to do, so it’s definitely a place I’ll enjoy living for many, many years.”
Nico O’Reilly wins Man City April Player of the Month award
After another stellar month, O’Reilly has been recognised for a string of top-quality performances for Pep Guardiola’s side.
His technical ability, energy and quality on both sides of the ball have been instrumental in City’s incredible recent form, winning all five games in April across all competitions.
He also scored in the 3-0 away win against Chelsea, which helped City close the gap t
Laura Coombs calls time on Manchester City career
In an announcement on the Manchester City Women’s X account, the club confirmed that Coombs is retiring at the end of the season.
The Gravesend-born midfielder played youth football for Charlton Athletic and Arsenal before making her senior debut for the Gunners in 2007.
Following loan spells at Nottingham Forest and Los Angeles Strikers, she joined Chelsea in 2011. Spending six years at the Blues.
Further loans followed, with Coombs signing for Liverpool in 2017. After two years on Merseyside, she made the switch to Man City, where she enjoyed the longest and most successful period of her career.
Chris Sutton predicts Man City to beat Everton
Chris Sutton has revealed that he expects the visitors to be put to the test at the Hill Dickinson Stadium because Everton could be a tough team to break down.
He told BBC Sport: “Manchester City have got some momentum, and come into this game off the back of six straight wins in all competitions. Will they keep that good form up, though?
“The Hill Dickinson has not been a fortress for Everton this season but I can see them making it difficult for City, and being hard to break down.”
However, Chris Sutton expects Manchester City to win 2-1 against Everton, purely on the strength of their attack, saying: “It wouldn’t surprise me if Everton picked up a point but with City’s front four of Erling Haaland, Rayan Cherki, Jeremy Doku and Antoine Semenyo in such good form, I am going to say they will find a way to win it.”
