Pep Guardiola has confirmed Ruben Dias could make his debut against Leeds this weekend. Man City travel to Elland Road on Saturday, and Guardiola was asked about some of the missing players from his squad. City were without 12 first team players at the start of the season, but they have welcomed Ilkay Gundogan to training following a period of isolation in the wake of a positive COVID-19 test. Guardiola also confirmed that Gabriel Jesus will not make the trip to Yorkshire.
Pep Guardiola said “Today was his first day back with the rest of us, Still no training after the days of isolation, in the international break he’ll train with the rest of the players who are here. Hopefully after the international break he will be ready. Every season he is a better player than the season before, this is a good point, a striker it’s so difficult the way they move into spaces, he has to improve in the finishing in the last part of the 18-yard box, to be quicker, sharper, it’s the most difficult position on the pitch. But he’s young and he has a desire to improve, we are delighted to have him here and I have the feeling every year he’s better than the year before. Cruyff was the most influential (to me) because I was four years with him and when I started as a manager he was an incredible help, but Marcelo, he is the person in world football I admire the most, My theory is the manager is not about the titles because I feel far away from his knowledge. My teams won more titles than his, but in terms of knowledge of the game, I am a way from him. It is a good present, a good gift to have him in the Premier League. They do exactly what they have to do. They are a team, fight for each other, defend a lot around the box. They have good build-up. At the right moment, they arrive with a lot of players. I played three times against Marcelo at Bilbao, and every game was so difficult.”
