Pep Guardiola issues worrying injury verdict on Manchester City duo ahead of FA Cup and Champions League Finals
Pep Guardiola, the manager of Manchester City, has shared concerning information about the physical condition of Ruben Dias and Jack Grealish before important matches against Manchester United and Inter Milan.
During Manchester City’s disappointing 1-0 defeat to Brentford in West London on Sunday, both Dias and Grealish were absent, along with several other players. This loss marked the end of City’s Premier League campaign.
The winning streak of 25 matches by Manchester City was brought to an end by Ethan Pinnock’s late goal. Notably, Brentford is the only Premier League team to achieve a double victory over Manchester City this season.
The defeat with a score of 1-0 also marked the first time in over a decade that Manchester City lost on the final day of the season. Despite the loss, the team still managed to secure the Premier League title with 89 points, five points ahead of second-placed Arsenal.
Pep Guardiola opted to make several changes for Sunday’s match against Brentford, with Erling Haaland, Ilkay Gundogan, and Bernardo Silva starting the game on the substitutes’ bench.
Ruben Dias, Jack Grealish, and Kevin De Bruyne were all unavailable for the match, as they had been absent from the squad since the 1-0 victory against Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium the previous weekend.
Manchester City has two important upcoming matches: the FA Cup Final against Manchester United, which is less than a week away, and the UEFA Champions League Final in Istanbul, which is quickly approaching. The team aims to achieve the remarkable feat of winning the treble, a feat last accomplished in 1999.
Pep Guardiola has shared a worrisome update regarding the fitness of Ruben Dias and Jack Grealish ahead of the upcoming finals. Guardiola revealed that both players have been missing from first-team training for more than a week, raising concerns about their availability for the FA Cup Final against Manchester United and the UEFA Champions League Final.
“Ruben [Dias] didn’t train 10 days, [Jack] Grealish neither,” revealed the City manager post-match.
“After Brighton, Kevin [De Bruyne] felt the same feelings as before, a few weeks ago. They couldn’t play a few games. It’s not a big issue. I think they will be ready [for Wembley].”
Manchester City is set to face Manchester United at Wembley Stadium on Saturday in what will be the first-ever FA Cup Final between the two local rivals.
In their previous encounters this season, City achieved a resounding 6-3 victory against United at the Etihad Stadium in October. However, they suffered a 2-1 defeat in the reverse fixture at Old Trafford in January.
Manchester City will aim to secure their first FA Cup title since 2019 in the upcoming final, while Manchester United will be seeking to complete the domestic cup double, having already won the League Cup in February.
Pep Guardiola issues worrying injury verdict on Manchester City duo ahead of FA Cup and Champions League Finals
