Pep Guardiola issues crucial Rodri and John Stones updates ahead of Al Ain clash | OneFootball

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has delivered an update on the fitness of his squad ahead of their FIFA Club World Cup clash against Al Ain on Sunday evening.

Goals from Phil Foden and Jeremy Doku sealed a comfortable 2-0 triumph for the Blues in their opener against Wydad AC, though Rico Lewis’ controversial red card left a bitter taste after new signings Rayan Cherki and Tijjani Reijnders made their full Manchester City debuts.

Guardiola has been given a new lease of life by the Manchester City board, with four new arrivals in his Club World Cup squad to give the dressing room a much-needed lift and injection of fresh blood after a sobering, long-drawn and tiring 2024-25 season.

Rayan Ait-Nouri, signed from Wolves for £36.3 million, is in line to make his Manchester City debut against Al Ain after Guardiola stated he will change 10 players from his starting XI against Wydad AC to spread the workload around.

Amongst those expected to play a part on Sunday is Rodri, who came off the bench last week in Philadelphia after returning to full fitness towards the closing stages of the campaign – having spent nearly the entirety of the recent season on the sidelines with an ACL injury.

Rodri went down in worrying fashion in Manchester City’s enthralling 2-2 draw with Arsenal in the Premier League in September 2024 – and after picking up the Ballon d’Or in Paris on crutches – the 29-year-old has made a swift recovery in time for the Club World Cup.

After making his long-awaited return to action in Kevin De Bruyne’s final appearance at the Etihad Stadium in May – in a 3-1 win over Bournemouth – the prospect of Rodri returning to his best next season is another reason to be excited.

Speaking in a press conference ahead of Manchester City’s upcoming game against Al Ain, Guardiola was asked whether the Spain international will be one of 10 new players introduced to his starting XI on Sunday evening.

However, the Catalan has confirmed that Rodri is not just yet ready to be named in the starting XI and Guardiola will be very careful in phasing the defensive midfielder back to action after a lengthy lay-off.

Asked whether John Stones, who had his own troubles with fitness in the recent season, could make the cut from the off, Guardiola also said that the 31-year-old England international is also not ready to start yet – despite recovering from a hamstring injury.

Stones has admitted to recurring issues with his hamstring derailing his performances and morale as the former Everton man once again spent the majority of the season on the sidelines as Manchester City only secured a third-place Premier League finish and were eliminated from the UEFA Champions League at the Round of 16 stage by Real Madrid.

The centre-half wants to stay at the Etihad Stadium into his final year of his contract but it remains to be seen whether newly-appointed sporting director Hugo Viana will be tempted to cash in on the defender this summer for a decent offer – to avoid the risk of losing Stones for nothing at the end of his deal in 2026.