Pep Guardiola anger and Man City injury concerns as Champions League returns

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola faced the media on Tuesday ahead of the Champions League tie with Sparta Prague.

City have taken four points from their opening two European matches with a 0-0 draw at home to Inter Milan followed by a thumping victory at Slovan Bratislava. The Blues will be heavy favourites to add another three points to the tally on Wednesday night against the Czech side.

Guardiola was joined by Rico Lewis in facing the media as the pair chatted form, continental football and the latest injury news from the camp. Here's the latest headlines from the Etihad.

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Pep anger

Guardiola said he has never been as angry as when John Stones injured himself in an England friendly last season - after learning of an injury Kyle Walker has recently picked up with the national team.

Stones had started the last four league games leading up to March 2024 but picked up a groin injury in a friendly with Belgium. That forced him out of league games with Arsenal and Aston Villa and while he did return to play in the Champions League first leg against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu, a setback in that game meant he could only manage 11 minutes of the second leg.

City's centre-back recently brought up Guardiola's reaction to it and the manager remains furious about the incident itself and the lack of communication around it. As well as swiping at former England boss Gareth Southgate, Guardiola said there could be no excuses for a player getting injured in a friendly for their national team when the club pay their wages.

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Injury setback

Guardiola is unable to say when Kevin De Bruyne will return five weeks on from an injury that was described as minor.

De Bruyne came off with a thigh problem in the Champions League draw with Inter, although Guardiola played down the extent of the issue. However, a return after the October international break has still not materialised and while the player is back in training with the Blues he is still expected to be involved against Sparta Prague on Wednesday.

That will be the seventh straight game the 33-year-old has missed this season after a promising start to the campaign. Guardiola still does not think it is a big problem but needs his playmaker to be completely ready before he returns.

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