Man City handed double injury boost as Pep Guardiola issues three-man update | OneFootball

Key defenders return to the fold ahead of crucial Liverpool clash

Pep Guardiola has confirmed the return of two key defenders ahead of Manchester City’s trip to Liverpool this weekend.

The Portuguese was an unused substitute in the 3-1 win at the Etihad Stadium.

"He's back,” Guardiola said of one of his vice-captains.

“We'll see if he plays any minutes, but good news for us."

John Stones, meanwhile, was back in team training for the first time on Thursday.

Guardiola confirmed, however, that club captain Bernardo Silva, who missed the Newcastle match in midweek with a hamstring issue, remains a doubt for the visit to Anfield on Sunday.

The Portuguese midfielder will be assessed ahead of the weekend “tomorrow in training”, Guardiola said.

Dias, who suffered a hamstring injury on New Year’s Day against Chelsea, has been out for a month, while Stones has had a persisting thigh niggle that has kept him out for much of the campaign.

City are looking to close the gap on Arsenal at the top of the Premier League, with the distance currently six points between first and second place.

Guardiola has had to deal with a significant injury crisis in recent weeks, with wingers Jeremy Doku and Savinho still out with their respective problems, which has forced City to act in the January transfer window, signing Antoine Semenyo from Bournemouth.

The same can be said at centre-back, with Max Alleyne recalled from Watford in Dias, Stones and Josko Gvardiol’s absences, before Marc Guehi was signed from Crystal Palace to add to Abdukodir Khusanov and Nathan Ake.

The City boss was also asked whether the club would be appealing the EFL’s ruling that January signing Marc Guehi cannot feature in the competition.

The defender is ineligible for the League Cup having already played for former club Crystal Palace, although fellow new recruit Antoine Semenyo can play despite featuring for Bournemouth in the competition.

That is because Semenyo arrived before the semi-finals, while Guehi signed in between the two legs.

It means that Semenyo can play in the final against Arsenal, while Guehi cannot, despite City appealing for a rule change.

"No, the rules are the rules and I understand,” Guardiola said.

“Antoine [Semenyo] can play and Marc don't play is the rule, that is OK. Can we agree or disagree? That is not the point."