Convalescing Pep Guardiola in ‘continuous’ contact with Man City, says assistant

LONDON – Pep Guardiola is fully focused on Manchester City’s English Premier League clash at Sheffield United on Sunday, assistant manager Juanma Lillo said, despite the Spaniard being in rehabilitation after a back operation.

Guardiola, who is recovering from the surgery in Barcelona, will not be on the touchline for City’s league games against Sheffield and Fulham next weekend.

“Pep is always there! The contact is continuous. Telephone, video call, everything,” Lillo said on Friday ahead of the clash at Bramall Lane.

“Pep is watching Sheffield right now. What’s important is his health... but it doesn’t keep him from being who he is. He’s fully focused on the match. He is telling us the surgery has been successful. His recovery has to take the necessary time. He feels fine."

Despite Guardiola still being involved in the City set-up, Lillo – who recently returned to the club for a second spell either side of a short stint in charge of Qatari side Al-Sadd – said he would be delivering the team talk to the players in their match against Sheffield.

"We won't do a video conference because Pep doesn't want it," he added.

Lillo was also asked about the English champions’ transfer business, and he praised City’s new £55.5 million (S$94.7 million) signing Jeremy Doku, saying: “You’ve seen him (Doku). He has specific qualities. He can definitely help. Every time a new player arrives, we think they are going to bring something and help the team globally.”

Doku is the third signing of this window following the Croatian duo of Mateo Kovacic and Josko Gvardiol.

City’s assistant manager also highlighted the importance of Portuguese international Bernardo Silva, who signed a contract extension until 2026 last week. Silva joined City in 2017 and has made over 300 appearances in a trophy-laden spell at the club.

“Bernardo is that kind of player who, in order to look at his importance, you look at his past. His importance is plain to see,” Lillo said, adding that Silva was “good to go” after missing two matches due to injury.

In his absence, City have still won two out of two games to start the season while newly promoted Sheffield are finding it tough to adjust to the Premier League, losing both their fixtures.

On the challenge of facing the best team in England and Europe last season, manager Paul Heckingbottom said that his team have to be “at our very, very best”.

“We are going to have to be a bit aggressive and take risks. If we want to get a result, we have to create chances and score goals,” he added. REUTERS, AFP