Guardiola on team news, player form and Bruges
- Published
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has been speaking to the media before Tuesday’s Champions League group game against Club Bruges.
City are third in their group after two games, a point behind Bruges and Paris St-Germain. Here are the key lines from the news conference:
Ederson and Gabriel Jesus are both in Belgium and face no further quarantine procedures after arriving in the country following international duty;
Kevin de Bruyne is “getting better” as he continues his comeback from injury but Guardiola says the Belgian relies heavily on his fitness to reach his most influential level on the pitch;
He is "more than satisfied" with the form of holding midfielder Rodri, who he says is providing "more stable" performances this season;
Cole Palmer, 19, will eventually break into the first team because the club "believe a lot in him";
He has spoken to Jack Grealish about the challenge of adapting to playing both Premier League games and Champions League fixtures, adding the England international has adapted in "excellent" fashion to a "big challenge";
Guardiola said Club Bruges represent a "tough opponent".