Pep Guardiola to miss pre-match Tottenham press conference | OneFootball

Manchester City have confirmed Pep Guardiola will be absent from pre-match media duties ahead of the club’s trip to face Tottenham in the Premier League this weekend.

City are attempting to build momentum following a demanding run of fixtures across domestic and European competitions, with Guardiola under some scrutiny in recent weeks after a mixed sequence of results including defeats to Manchester United and Bodo/Glimt.

A response arrived through a 2-0 win against Wolves, before City produced a composed and authoritative performance to overcome Galatasaray and secure automatic qualification into the top eight of the UEFA Champions League.

The latter victory ensured Pep Guardiola’s side avoided a potentially disruptive February play-off round – an outcome that had looked possible following the loss in Norway.

Against the Turkish giants in midweek, City showed greater fluency in attack with Erling Haaland returning to the scoresheet from open play and Jeremy Doku heavily involved before being forced off injured.

Rayan Cherki and Nico O’Reilly, operating in central midfield, also impressed, underlining the depth Pep Guardiola has been forced to lean on amid fitness concerns – a topic that would usually dominate the manager’s pre-match press conference schedule.

Now, ahead of the pre-match press conference at the City Football Academy looking ahead to the club’s clash with Tottenham in North London on Sunday afternoon, Manchester City have confirmed Guardiola will be unavailable.

As such, the Catalan coach’s assistant Pep Lijnders will be present to take questions from the media and update supporters on the club’s fitness and injury picture for the clash at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Guardiola has been in Barcelona over the last 24 hours returning to Manchester on Friday night, as he gave a speech supporting Palestinian children at a charity concert in his home city on Thursday evening.

Pep Guardiola’s absence means Lijnders will address supporters’ eagerness for clarity on issues such as Jeremy Doku’s calf problem and potential rotation ahead of another demanding league fixture.

Lijnders has increasingly taken on a visible role since joining the coaching staff and is expected to offer insight into City’s tactical and physical condition, having also taken the touchline during the club’s 10-1 win against Exeter City in the FA Cup third round amid Guardiola’s one-game touchline suspension for an accumulation of yellow cards.

Pep Guardiola’s return to Manchester ahead of the weekend suggests minimal disruption to matchday preparations, and City will be fully focused on delivering a strong performance against Tottenham – a venue that has posed challenges in the Premier League.