Manchester City injury news: Pep Guardiola issues update on squad's fitness ahead of FA Cup final against Man United
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has stated that some of his players are dealing with niggles ahead of their FA Cup final against Manchester United on June 3.
Manchester City have already won the Premier League title and have a great chance to complete a treble this season. They will face Inter Milan in the UEFA Champions League final on June 10. Before that, however, they will take on city rivals Manchester United at Wembley in the FA Cup final.
Manchester City come into the match on the back of a 1-0 defeat against Brentford away in the Premier League. The likes of Erling Haaland and Kevin de Bruyne didn't feature against the Bees.
In a pre-match press conference ahead of their summit clash against Manchester United, Guardiola explained that some players were 'mentally drained'. He said (via Football.London):
"We had four, five players with niggles, not injuries. They were not fit for a few days. The guys who don't play here were really exhausted yesterday, we spoke with them, they said they are mentally completely drained."
He added:
"The guys who play today deserve it, the minutes for Nathan [Ake]. Aymer [Laporte] comes back again with 90 minutes. Kyle [Walker] we couldn't give him time to rest, because I don't have many substitutions. They needed to rest. Now to arrive with the right energy for United and the final of the Champions League."
Guardiola also provided an update on the likes of Jack Grealish and Ruben Dias, claiming they are still doubtful for the final. He said:
"I don't know. Wednesday they will train, or recovery session tomorrow. Hopefully, right now I don't know. The guys who are in Manchester, Ruben didn't train for ten days, Jack Grealish neither. After Brighton Kevin felt the same feelings as before weeks ago. They couldn't play a few games. Not a big issue. I think they will be ready. They have to be ready in the training sessions."
The Manchester City manager added:
"That's why today was so important to see these players how they are. Phil [Foden] is in incredible form, Riyad [Mahrez] play really well, Cole [Palmer] so active in many things. We have to play who feels better in the final. That's why it was good today to play with these guys and rest the other ones. hopefully other players can recover."
Manchester City hoping to regain some momentum ahead of two important finals
Manchester City have been one of the most dominant sides in European football this season, especially in recent months. Before Brentford, their previous defeat came back in February - 1-0 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur.
The Cityzens reclaimed their Premier League title, making it three in a row. They obliterated Real Madrid 4-0 in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League semi-finals at the Etihad. They won the tie 5-2 on aggregate.
However, Manchester City seems to have lost some momentum as they are without a win in their last two games. They played out a 1-1 draw against Brighton & Hove Albion before losing against Brentford.
Pep Guardiola will hope that it is just a small blip and they can regain their dominance ahead of the FA Cup final. They face a Manchester United side, who are on a four-game winning run.