Man City boss Pep Guardiola was giving nothing away when asked about the fitness of key duo Kevin de Bruyne and Fernandinho.
The Citizens are entering a run of three fundamental games which will determine whether or not their campaign has been a successful one this year.
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Guardiola knows back-to-back wins over Leicester City and Brighton will ensure that they fend off Liverpool and hold onto their Premier League crown, while they face Watford in the FA Cup final on May 18 which could lead to a domestic treble.
In turn, the Spanish tactician will undoubtedly be desperate to have as close to a fully fit squad at his disposal as possible, but he is remaining tight-lipped on whether or not we’ll see either De Bruyne or Fernandinho before the season is over.
The Belgian ace sustained a hamstring injury while Fernandinho is out with a knee problem he picked up against Man Utd last week.
Given the experience and quality that the pair possess, there is no doubt that it’s a blow for Man City to be without them at this stage of the campaign, but as they’ve shown all season long, they have quality depth in the squad with others stepping up and delivering.
Based on Guardiola’s comments as seen below, it does sound as though he may well have to rely on others to get them through the last stages of the season, with De Bruyne definitely ruled out against Leicester while it’s unclear if Fernandinho will get the green light from the medical staff in time.
That will certainly perk the interest of title rivals Liverpool, who will hope to pile the pressure on them by winning their last two games and seeing if City can cope with their injury troubles.
PEP ? (On @DeBruyneKev) I don’t know (whether he will play again this season) – next Monday he’s not available.
I don’t know (whether @fernandinho is available). I didn’t speak with him. They are still in the gym.
— Manchester City (@ManCity) May 3, 2019
