Pep Guardiola press conference: John Stones and Ruben Dias fitness updates for Chelsea clash | OneFootball

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has issued a comprehensive fitness update on his side ahead of Sunday’s Premier League clash against Chelsea.

City must win every game between now and the end of the Premier League campaign to realistically stand a chance to cut down Arsenal’s nine-point lead at the top of the table.

The Blues are in a rich vein of form off the back of consecutive Carabao Cup final and FA Cup quarter-final wins over Arsenal and Liverpool respectively – either side of the recent international break.

Erling Haaland netted a stunning treble in a 4-0 demolition of Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium last weekend as Manchester City ran riot against the reigning Premier League champions to gain much-needed confidence ahead of monumental games against Chelsea and Arsenal.

Guardiola and co face a trip to west London this weekend as they look to return to winning ways in the Premier League, having been held to a frustrating 1-1 draw by West Ham at the London Stadium last time out in March.

In a press conference on Friday afternoon, the Manchester City manager provided a wide fitness update on his side as they prepare to take on Chelsea and Liam Rosenior on Sunday evening.

Ruben Dias, who missed City’s recent cup triumphs over Arsenal and Liverpool with a hamstring injury he picked up in March, has been ruled out of the trip down south with no indication as yet of when the Portugal international will return.

“He’s getting better but he’s not ready for Sunday,” Guardiola said on the 28-year-old defender.

John Stones was missing from Manchester City’s matchday squad against Liverpool last week, having sustained a calf injury on international duty with England a few weeks ago.

“Today maybe he will do a partial training, we will see,” Guardiola added on Stones, who is unlikely to be involved against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

Guardiola went on and said Mateo Kovacic is ‘fine’, having returned to full first-team training and matchday squads after fully recovering from an Achilles injury he sustained in November 2025 – and subsequent surgery – that kept the Croatian midfielder on the sidelines for three months.

Josko Gvardiol has started running to take a giant step towards returning to action, having sustained a tibial fracture on his right leg in a 1-1 draw with Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium in early January.

“He’s getting better, but still he’s not close (to a return),” Guardiola added on Gvardiol.

Marc Guehi and Abdukodir Khusanov starred against Liverpool and are expected to form City’s centre-half pairing on Sunday, with Matheus Nunes set to line up at right-back and man-of-the-moment Nico O’Reilly expected to start at left-back.

However, Guardiola could decide to re-call Nathan Ake at left-back to allow O’Reilly the freedom to move into midfield and affect the game in the final third, as he has done so often for Manchester City this season.