Pep Guardiola says Man City ‘fighter’ is now pain-free after injury struggles

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Manchester City will get another chance to snap their losing streak when they host Dutch side Feyenoord in a Champions League tie on Tuesday evening.

Pep Guardiola and company will be desperate to get a result to turn around their fortunes following Saturday’s 4-0 reverse at home to Tottenham, which made it five consecutive losses for the first time in the Catalan’s managerial career.

This run included a 4-1 loss at Sporting in City’s last Champions League tie which has left them 10th in the competition’s league table at the halfway point of this phase of the revamped competition.

Guardiola faced the press ahead of Tuesday night’s match to deliver his latest injury update in a season which has seen his side beset by issues.

Pep Guardiola issues Kevin De Bruyne update

Kevin De Bruyne has been a key absentee for City in recent weeks after he suffered a hamstring injury in the Champions League draw with Inter back in September. He returned to the squad before the international break, but has only made short cameos off the bench in City’s last two Premier League games.

But Guardiola says the Belgian is now finally pain-free ahead of the Tuesday night clash at the Etihad.

“Of all of us, he is the first that is fighting and training more than ever,” Guardiola said in his pre-match press conference. “He’s fighting to come back to his best. Of course he’s not 24, 25, 26 or 27 or when we’re at our best, he is now a certain age and last season had five months out.

“This season, he played in the first and in the last game, before Spurs he came to me and said it’s the first day he didn’t feel anything, I have had pain. First time in the last two months.

“That’s important. And the point is if you are ready for 90 minutes, the rhythm that we play, of course, you are going to need time. In the season when he came back after five months, he played 30 mins, 35 minutes, 40. The only I thing I asked Kevin what he is looking for, is a lack of pain.

“And after that Kevin will give us something that is unique. Of course, we need him. There would be no sense if I say the opposite.”

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Man City’s injury luck finally turning?

De Bruyne also faced the media, adding to the feeling that City’s injury luck could finally be beginning to turn.

“I’m starting to feel better now, so I’m happy about that,” he said. “But it’s been a frustrating one, but I’m starting to feel better and I’m happy about that.”

Guardiola did not issue an update on any of City’s other injured players, meaning question marks remain alongside the likes of Ruben Dias and Jeremy Doku.

This comes after Guardiola was able to bring a number of injured players back into his squad for the Spurs defeat, with John Stones starting against Ange Postecoglou’s side, while Nathan Ake and Jack Grealish came off the bench in the second half.

The likes of longer-term absentees Rodri and Oscar Bobb remain sidelined, as does Mateo Kovacic who will miss Man City’s next few games after he returned from international duty with Croatia injured.