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Rodri may appear in Manchester City Go to Sunderland New Year’s Day, with the manager Guardiola He played down any talk of a championship following his side’s recent resurgence.
key midfielder Rodri Was an unused substitute in Saturday’s game Premier League win nottingham forest He missed most of last season with a serious knee problem after recovering from a recent injury.
winger Jeremy DokuA player who has had a strong start to the season but has missed the past four games with a calf injury is also a possibility.
Their return will relieve some of the pressure ahead of a busy tournament John StonesOscar Bob and Mateo Kovacic Rayan Ait Nouri and Omar Marmouche remain injured during the Africa Cup of Nations.
“Rhodri is back,” Guardiola said at a press conference on Wednesday. “Maybe he can play a few minutes. I’m looking forward to it. Dooku maybe, John and Oscar not.
“Squad-wise, we’re not in the best shape right now with such a tight schedule. We’ve been playing with the same guys recently, but with the schedule we have… we’ll be back (from Sunderland) 2 o’clock or 3 o’clock in the morning and two days later we had Chelsea and then we had brighton – Very difficult opponent. We don’t have many players to rotate through. “
Manchester City are five points behind the leaders arsenal But with one game left, they have to face 10 games in 32 days, divided into four games.
Eight consecutive wins in all competitions have enhanced Manchester City’s chances of winning the title; defeating Sunderland, who are unbeaten at home this season, will narrow the points gap to just two points.
But when asked if it was a two-horse race, Guardiola said: “Are you sure? In a few weeks, that’s how it will be.” arsenalTwo days ago it was three [teams] in the championship game. Now it’s just one. we will see. “
The arrival of Bournemouth could bolster his squad Antoine Semenho In the January transfer window, There are reports he has links with the clubalthough the Spaniards refuse to discuss the subject.
“I have to be careful about what I say,” Guardiola said. “That’s why I said yesterday and on the day of the game – the transfer window is now completely closed.”
Norway international Bobb may be heading in the opposite direction, Loaned to Bundesliga team Borussia DortmundBut Guardiola again declined to comment. He said: “When it’s going to happen, it’s going to happen. I don’t know anything right now. You can ask Oscar, not me.”
Additional report by PA