Manchester City will be ready for their Premier League game against Newcastle United on Saturday, even though they played in the UEFA Super Cup in Athens on Wednesday, manager Pep Guardiola has said.
Following the penalty shootout win over Sevilla, the City manager sarcastically thanked the Premier League for hosting Newcastle’s game on Saturday.
Still, he said his side would be ready for the game at the Etihad Stadium, despite evident fatigue. “Of course we are ready. We need these kinds of challenges. We are facing difficulties with the injuries we have, the schedule. This is the challenge we have to take up, to take a step forward,” Guardiola told reporters on Friday.
“People went to bed at 4 a.m. in Greece while playing at 10 p.m. We arrive, we recover with 35 or 40 degrees in Greece. We come back, we arrive late, and then it’s this game, it’s tomorrow’s game, today we can’t train, ”said the manager.
“That’s why we won. That’s why we won, because we always overcome this kind of situation. We always have less time to recover between matches, that’s not a problem,” added the Spaniard.
Kevin De Bruyne is already out long-term after sustaining a hamstring injury in City’s 3-0 win over Burnley last Friday. Guardiola also has other injury concerns.
Ruben Dias suffered a concussion in training ahead of the league opener which left him out for seven days. John Stones also missed that game and the Super Cup with a hip problem.
“Maybe Ruben (Dias) will play. John (Stones) is absent. During the last training, he did not feel comfortable, I do not know how long it will last,” confirmed the coach.
Newcastle, City’s opponents, started the season with an impressive 5-1 win over Aston Villa last Saturday. Guardiola was full of praise for the work Newcastle manager Eddie Howe has done at the club.
“Eddie Howe has built a fantastic team, fantastic for so many reasons, in construction, in transitions and in possession of the ball. They control everything and it will be a huge test for us.”
Manchester City and Newcastle both started the season with three points, and Newcastle top the Premier League on goal difference.
