Pep Guardiola hands worrying Rodri update ahead of Manchester City clash with Everton | OneFootball

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has handed an update on the fitness of his squad ahead of Saturday’s Premier League meeting with Everton.

The Blues are back in action against the Toffees after the recent international break, having turned a corner since their early season slump marked by consecutive defeats to Tottenham and Brighton at the end of August.

After an underwhelming 2024-25 season, Guardiola and co are undergoing a period of transition in the backdrop of a sliding doors transfer window orchestrated by newly-appointed director of football Hugo Viana.

City are dealing with a host of fitness concerns ahead of the game against Everton on Sunday, with Ballon d’Or winning midfielder the most notable, having struggled to keep himself fit since his return to the pitch after ACL injury at the FIFA Club World Cup in the summer.

Speaking in a press conference on Friday afternoon, Guardiola has provided an update on Rodri and the wider Manchester City squad as he rallies his troops to kick on from their September purple patch as the season progresses.

Rodri will not be available to face Everton on Saturday, Guardiola has confirmed, which is likely to see Nico Gonzalez start in defensive midfield against David Moyes’ men at the Etihad Stadium.

The 29-year-old has suffered a series of fitness setbacks since the Club World Cup and was hauled off with a hamstring injury early on in Manchester City’s final game before the recent international break – a 1-0 win away at Brentford.

Omar Marmoush and Rayan Ait-Nouri have spent the last month on the sidelines after the former suffered a thigh injury in action for Egypt in September and the latter recovering from an ankle issue sustained against Tottenham in August.

The duo returned to full first-team training this week and Guardiola is optimistic over their recoveries and a smooth return to action. “They (Marmoush and Ait-Nouri) trained yesterday (on Thursday), they are much, much better – they are close to coming back,” the Manchester City manager said.

Marmoush and Ait-Nouri are unlikely to start against Everton but it will be an important step towards full fitness if either can get a run out this weekend, with City seeking to maintain their rich vein of recent Premier League form.

Elsewhere, Mateo Kovacic is back to full fitness and could make his first appearance for Manchester City since undergoing surgery on his Achilles towards the end of the 2024-25 season. “It’s a good news, starting for 50, 60 minutes,” Guardiola said on the Croatian.

“Step by step; he (Kovacic) has to now give us quality moments, quality time, quality minutes. But step by step, it’s important that he’s back.”

Manchester City can, albeit briefly, climb to the top of the Premier League table with three points against Everton on Saturday, with the Blues aiming to challenge on all fronts after an aggressive transfer market to rebuild the squad.