Guardiola on injuries, new signings and 'confidence' in UCL qualification
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has been speaking to the media before Saturday's visit of Chelsea in the Premier League (17:30 GMT).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
Guardiola confirmed "the players we had out are [still] out", including winger Jeremy Doku, who "felt something" during Sunday's win at Ipswich, and defender Ruben Dias, who has an abductor problem with no scheduled return date.
On City's three new signings: "Vitor [Reis] is young, he has a huge personality, needs time. [Abdukodir] Khusanov has already settled for the fact that he played in the French league, handling tough, quick, fast players. But he doesn't speak much English so communication will be one of the situations that we have to deal with. [Omar] Marmoush - I think he will adapt quickly..."
He added he does not know where the new acquisitions will fit into his team yet.
On how important new blood in his squad could be: "New players can help, of course. They are here for that reason. Again, this could not happen without the amount of circumstances that we had."
Guardiola believes Saturday's meeting is key: "Really important. We are very close in the table, even with the big, big problems we had in the recent past. The next two games [against Chelsea and Club Brugge in the Champions League] are really, really important - finals for us. Our people will support us."
Asked how much of a blow not qualifying for the Champions League next season would be, Guardiola said: "We can make it. Why should I think differently? I think it is going to happen. I am very, very positive."
On how impressed he has been by Chelsea this season, managed by his former assistant Enzo Maresca: "I recognised his team from day one, even when we played them in the summer camp in the States. Many things I started to see that we spoke about many, many times in the last years together. Really good."
Listen to full live commentary of Man City v Chelsea on BBC 5 Live at 17:30 on Saturday
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