Manchester City’s Rayan Cherki facing late fitness test ahead of Carabao Cup semi-final second leg | OneFootball

Rayan Cherki faces a fitness test to see if he will be able to play for Manchester City in their Carabao Cup semi-final second leg against Newcastle.

The summer signing, who was hurt in Sunday’s 2-2 draw against Tottenham, scored in City’s 2-0 win in the first leg and has found the net in each of their last two games.

“He had a knock and we will see today how he feels,” said manager Pep Guardiola.

City are without the ineligible Marc Guehi while defender Ruben Dias and winger Jeremy Doku remain sidelined, with Guardiola hinting the latter will not be fit for Sunday’s game against Liverpool. “Ruben started to train yesterday and Jeremy not yet,” added Guardiola.

Guardiola wished Kalvin Phillips well in his loan spell at Sheffield United. The midfielder has not played for City in the Premier League since 2023 and has had a difficult time since his £42.5m transfer from Leeds in 2021.

Guardiola added: “He has to play, he has made some loans, and how he is as a guy everyone is desperate for him to come back and play minutes and be at his best, because he deserves it. Most of the time he had setbacks through injuries. He had long injuries with shoulder, knees, hamstring. He struggled with that.”

Guardiola is looking to win the League Cup for the fifth time and added: “This is the point of today and tomorrow. We have a chance to make our fifth final in ten years in the Carabao Cup.”