Pep Guardiola has confirmed that Manchester City will be without Mateo Kovacic and Rodri for Saturday’s crucial encounter against Newcastle United.
The Premier League champions travel to St James’ Park aiming to extend their impressive run of form across all competitions. City have won four consecutive matches and appear to be building strong momentum.
Their latest victory came in dominant fashion with a commanding 3-0 win over Liverpool. That result pushed City into second place, keeping them firmly in the title race. Although they cannot overtake Arsenal this weekend, a victory in Newcastle would narrow the gap to a single point.
However, Guardiola will be forced to cope without two important midfielders. Kovacic is sidelined with an ankle injury and has been ruled out completely. Meanwhile, Rodri remains unavailable after suffering a thigh problem that also kept him out of Spain duties during the international break.
The City boss addressed the situation while speaking to reporters before the trip to the north east. He confirmed that every other player is fit and ready for the match. Nevertheless, he stressed the importance of giving Rodri enough time to recover fully.
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Guardiola stresses patience as Rodri continues his recovery
Guardiola revealed that Rodri is progressing well but still requires careful management. He explained that the midfielder needs both physical and mental recovery time to return to top condition. The coach emphasised that City must ensure consistency from this stage until the end of the campaign.
Despite the absences, Guardiola remains confident in the squad’s depth and readiness. City’s focus now is to sustain their winning momentum and take advantage of any slip from Arsenal.
Tags: Pep Guardiola, Mateo Kovacic, Rodri, #MCFC, #NUFC, Newcastle, #PremierLeague26, St James’ Park.
