Mateo Kovacic and Rico Lewis fitness updates ahead of Manchester City games against West Ham and Real Madrid | OneFootball

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has provided a fitness update on Mateo Kovacic and Rico Lewis ahead of a pivotal double-header against West Ham and Real Madrid.

The Blues face West Ham at London Stadium on Saturday evening before hosting Real Madrid in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 tie at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday, with City needing to overturn a 3-0 first-leg deficit from the Spanish capital.

Every game is a final for Manchester City between now and the end of the season as Guardiola’s side remain in the running for an unprecedented quadruple, despite facing major challenges in their pursuit of the Premier League and UEFA Champions League trophies.

After being humbled by Real Madrid in midweek, City must regroup and go again against West Ham on Saturday night as they look to cut down Arsenal‘s seven point lead at the top of the Premier League table in their final nine games of the domestic campaign.

What is the latest on Rico Lewis’ ankle injury?

The 21-year-old has now missed five consecutive matches for Manchester City across all competitions, having first sat out due to a swollen ankle.

Lewis last featured in City’s 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest and missed his boyhood club’s FA Cup fifth-round win over Newcastle United, the Real Madrid first leg and the intervening Premier League fixtures.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference on Friday, Guardiola confirmed that Lewis remains a doubt but has not been ruled out entirely. “Rico still has a little bit swollen in the ankle,” the 55-year-old said ahead of Saturday’s trip to east London.

The Manchester City academy graduate has made only three Premier League starts this season but remains one of Guardiola’s most trusted options in midfield and at right-back. The City boss has made no secret of his admiration for Lewis, previously stating he trusts and likes him “a lot, a lot, a lot”.

Though reports suggest there is a slight chance Lewis could be available for Saturday’s clash at the London Stadium, Guardiola’s wording suggests he remains unlikely to feature.

What is the latest on Mateo Kovacic?

The news is considerably more positive on Mateo Kovacic, with the 31-year-old Croatian returning to regular training and pushing towards a return to the matchday squad.

“Mateo’s training and is much better every day,” Guardiola said on the former Chelsea and Real Madrid man on Friday afternoon.

Kovacic has endured a torrid season on the injury front. Having initially missed pre-season through Achilles surgery, the midfielder returned to action in October – featuring twice off the bench – before suffering a further ankle setback that required a second operation.

Guardiola had previously suggested the midfielder’s recovery from his second ankle surgery had been notably smoother than the first – and the Spaniard expressed hope that Kovacic could offer genuine quality in the run-in.

With City facing Real Madrid, Arsenal twice, Liverpool and Chelsea in the next month, welcoming Kovacic back into the fold would provide a welcome depth boost in central midfield – where Rodri, Bernardo Silva and Nico O’Reilly have carried the bulk of the load in recent months.

Kovacic did not travel as part of City’s 23-player squad to Madrid for the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 first leg. The return leg at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday represents a plausible target for a place in the squad if his fitness continues to progress as Guardiola described.

Who else is missing for Manchester City?

Josko Gvardiol remains the most significant long-term absentee, having suffered a tibial fracture in the January clash with Chelsea. The 24-year-old has made 16 Premier League appearances this season but is now expected to miss the remainder of the 2025-26 campaign.

Rayan Ait-Nouri, who missed the Real Madrid first leg with some niggles in his legs, is expected to be available for Saturday’s trip to West Ham, having returned to the bench for the FA Cup win over Newcastle.

City travel to the London Stadium on Saturday evening, sitting second in the Premier League table, seven points behind leaders Arsenal, though with a game in hand, and in desperate need of three points to keep their title challenge alive.