Pep Guardiola press conference: Rodri fitness update for FA Cup final against Chelsea | OneFootball

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola issued a fitness update on his side ahead of Saturday’s FA Cup final against Chelsea at Wembley.

City lifted the Carabao Cup in the English capital in March after beating Arsenal 2-0 in the final and the Blues remain in pursuit of their second domestic treble under Guardiiola.

After succumbing to a 3-3 draw against Everton that has damaged their hopes of lifting the Premier League title, the Blues have picked up successive 3-0 wins over Brentford and Crystal Palace to gain momentum ahead of the FA Cup final.

Guardiola made six changes to his starting XI in midweek against Palace, with the likes of Erling Haaland, Jeremy Doku and Rayan Cherki rested as City eye a cup double in their first season under director of football Hugo Viana.

Man City fitness update for FA Cup final vs Chelsea

Rodri remained absent for the fifth successive game for City against Oliver Glasner‘s men on Wednesday night as the Spain international nurses a calf injury sustained in April’s 2-1 win over Arsenal.

Speaking in a press conference on Friday afternoon, the Manchester City manager offered a fitness update on Rodri for Saturday’s cup final.

“We’ll see. We’ll travel and we’ll see,” Guardiola said on the Ballon d’Or winner, who will travel to London with the Manchester City contingent ahead of a likely late call on his availability against Calum McFarlane and co.

Apart from Rodri, City have a fully fit squad against Chelsea in a monumental boost for Manchester City ahead of a cup final they will be confident to win after beating the south-west London outfit 3-0 in their Premier League meeting in April.

Could Rodri start against Chelsea at Wembley?

Rodri is unlikely to be thrown straight into the deep end in London even if he is deemed fit to face Chelsea on Saturday, with one of Nico Gonzalez or Mateo Kovacic expected to start in the middle of the park.

City would be wary of rushing the former Atletico Madrid man back to action ahead of must-win Premier League games against Bournemouth and Aston Villa next week.

Kovacic made a strong impression in a cameo at the Hill Dickinson Stadium last week, coming on and making an instant impact with a brilliant through-ball to set up Haaland to launch a late comeback that salvaged a draw against Everton.