Pep Guardiola issues triple Manchester City fitness update for festive Nottingham Forest trip | OneFootball

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has handed a fitness update on Rodri, John Stones and Jeremy Doku ahead of Saturday’s lunchtime kick-off against Nottingham Forest.

City have won their last seven games in all competitions and can remain on Arsenal’s heels with three points over an in-form Forest side after Guardiola gave his squad three days off over Christmas – in the backdrop of a comfortable 3-0 triumph over West Ham at the Etihad Stadium last week.

A brace from Erling Haaland and a first Etihad Stadium strike for summer signing Tijjani Reijnders helped the Blues see off the Hammers to maintain their fine run of form in recent months that has propelled into a finely-contested title race with the Gunners.

The Blues have won the race to sign Antoine Semenyo from Bournemouth and are expected to complete the signing of the 25-year-old Ghana international in January, having beaten the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea, Tottenham and Arsenal to the forward’s signature.

Oscar Bobb and Nathan Ake could be among those who leave Manchester City next month as director of football Hugo Viana and co look to plug further loopholes in the squad by making additions where needed as the Blues compete for silverware on multiple fronts.

Guardiola’s men reached the Carabao Cup semi-final last week as they beat Brentford at the Etihad Stadium, having also taken a giant stride towards the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 earlier this month by coming from behind to claim a monumental 2-1 win over Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu.

City have spent a large share of the current campaign in the absence of Ballon d’Or winning midfielder Rodri, who has remained out of action since sustaining a hamstring pull in a narrow Premier League win away at Brentford in early October.

The 29-year-old Spain international has suffered a series of fitness setbacks since making his long-awaited return from ACL injury in May and Guardiola has been hesitant to risk the former Atletico Madrid in recent months, despite Rodri being fully fit since mid-November.

Nico Gonzalez has been an ever-present for the Blues in the middle of the park amidst Rodri’s injury concerns and the 23-year-old Spaniard is expected to retain his starting place away at Nottingham Forest on Saturday afternoon.

However, Guardiola has offered hope that the City Ground could witness the return of Rodri. “Rodri is much, much better. Available or not, we’ll decide today,” the Manchester City manager said, as quoted by the club’s official channels on Friday.

Guardiola went on to confirm that Jeremy Doku and John Stones, the pair of whom have missed recent games with injury, will not play any part against Forest this weekend. “(Jeremy) Doku and John (Stones) still aren’t there but soon they’ll be back,” the Catalan added.

It is also unlikely that Oscar Bobb, who went off injured against Brentford in the Carabao Cup quarter-final, makes the trip to the City Ground, having also been recently linked with a likely departure from the Etihad Stadium in January should City complete a deal for Semenyo.