Man City boss Pep Guardiola sends message to Benjamin Mendy critics after Covid breach

straight to your inboxPep Guardiola was left hoping on Wednesday night that the injuries that forced Kyle Walker and Kevin De Bruyne off against Aston Villa will not be too serious.Manchester City continued their good form, winning their sixth straight league game and ninth in all competitions to reach the Premier League summit for the first time this season thanks to late goals from Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gundogan.However, they had to make do without two of their starting XI for long spells.

direct to your inboxPep Guardiola called upon an answer he has used before when asked how he will spend his 50th birthday today.The Manchester City boss saw his side produce a professional performance mixed with moments of individual quality on Saturday to beat Crystal Palace 4-0 and move up to second in the Premier League with a game in hand over leaders Manchester United.United had earlier drawn 0-0 with Liverpool, allowing City to move above Liverpool and to within two points of United with a

straight to your inboxPep Guardiola could not rule out a January transfer for Eric Garcia but hopes that Manchester City will be able to keep hold of the player. Garcia stunned the Blues last year when he opted not to extend his contract at the Etihad and decided that he wanted to return to Barcelona.

straight to your inboxManchester City have offered access to the Etihad Stadium for the NHS to train staff operating the new Covid-19 mass vaccine centre nextdoor.The site, at the Manchester Tennis and Football Centre at the Etihad Campus, has opened today to assist in the roll-out of coronavirus vaccines, and is initially open to people over 80 and healthcare staff by appointment only.

straight to your inboxPep Guardiola queried how effective the new protocols for Covid-19 can be in preventing contact on the pitch after Manchester City's FA Cup win over Birmingham. With more regular testing introduced recently across clubs following outbreaks including Newcastle, City, and Fulham, the PFA this week reminded all players not to celebrate with teammates at goals or swap shirts at the end of games in a bid to reduce contact and keep infection rates down.

straight to your inboxPep Guardiola is not sure when he will be able to call on Sergio Aguero with the Manchester City striker isolating after coming into contact with someone who has tested positive for Covid-19.

straight to your inbox every day for freeEric Bailly has revealed he has already spoken at length with new Manchester United signing Amad Diallo and has welcomed him to the club.United completed a move worth an initial £18million for the Ivorian winger, Bailly's fellow countryman, though Diallo had to wait from October until this week for the transfer from Atalanta to go through.Bailly said the 18-year-old is a huge talent, though advised United fans to be patient with Diallo.

straight to your inboxPep Guardiola asked his Manchester City side for the same level of intensity in the second half of their Carabao Cup semi-final win over Manchester United to book their place in a fourth successive final.City and United had exchanged blows in the opening 45 minutes, with both sides having goals ruled out for offside and both goalkeepers making superb saves.

straight to your inboxPep Guardiola is confident that Kevin De Bruyne will sign a new contract at Manchester City despite the absence of a breakthrough in negotiations. The Blues are keen to tie the 2019/20 Premier League Player of the Year down to a bumper deal that will commit him to the club beyond the terms of his current contract that expires in 2023.

straight to your inboxPep Guardiola admitted he didn't know when his Manchester City side kicked off at Chelsea if they would have lost their Premier League momentum. The Blues boss was elated after the 2-0 win over Boxing Day not just with the result but with the way his team played in the victory over Steve Bruce's Newcastle.

straight to your inboxPhil Foden should be starting every game for Manchester City from now on, according to Micah Richards.Foden starred as City beat Chelsea 3-1 at Stamford Bridge in Sunday's Premier League clash. The England international has not been a regular starter for Pep Guardiola 's side this season.

straight to your inboxPep Guardiola insists Benjamin Mendy will learn from his mistake after he was forced to apologise for breaching Covid-19 protocols on New Year's Eve. A report in The Sun said Mendy hosted friends for New Year's celebrations in a move that was against regulations concerning the virus.

straight to your inboxManchester City's latest Covid-19 results have allowed the Premier League match with Chelsea on Sunday to go ahead. Eric Garcia and a staff member were the only one new positive in the squad from Saturday's tests, meaning that Pep Guardiola's group are safe to play at Stamford Bridge without six players that are self-isolating.

straight to your inboxPep Guardiola is in 'constant contact' with Lionel Messi ahead of a potential transfer in 2021, according to reports.Messi shocked the world last summer when he declared his desire to leave Barcelona and City were immediately installed as the favourites to sign him.However, after two weeks of wild speculation, Messi announced he would stay in Catalonia to avoid a legal battle with the club over a clause in his contract.The Argentine's relationship with the hierarchy at the

straight to your inboxPep Guardiola trusts the Premier League to make the right decision on a potential circuit breaker as Manchester City prepare for their game with Chelsea without five players or a fully open training ground as a result of Covid-19. Having already seen one match this week postponed, the Blues need to hope that the additional testing done on Thursday and Saturday gives them the all-clear to go ahead with the Chelsea game on Sunday.

straight to your inboxPep Guardiola blasted Everton for their reaction to the postponement of their Premier League game with Manchester City and insisted that he had personally phoned Carlo Ancelotti to inform him of the situation.