Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has claimed that he ‘doesn’t have players’ available to face Liverpool next week.
Liverpool make the trip to the Etihad Stadium on Thursday for the Carabao Cup fourth-round clash in what will be their first competitive fixture since November 12. The Reds have played two friendlies in Dubai in the past week, however, with the latter of those coming on Friday when they beat AC Milan 4-1.
Reds boss Klopp will soon have the majority of the players who were at the World Cup back at his disposal. Darwin Nunez, who represented Uruguay in Qatar, made his return against Milan, scoring twice in a sensational performance off the bench.
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Klopp admitted after the match that England duo Trent Alexander-Arnold and Jordan Henderson could face City but seemed to suggest that Holland captain Virgil van Dijk will be absent. That trio, along with Brazil's Alisson Becker and Fabinho, have been given time off following their involvement at the World Cup. Liverpool have just one player left in Qatar, defender Ibrahima Konate, who could start for France in today's final against Argentina.
City, too, have a sole remaining player in the Middle East, striker Julian Alvarez, who has become a key part of the Argentina side that have reached the final.
But despite some of his first-team players being available, including Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne, and with more to return, Guardiola has suggested he does not know what team he will be able to put out against the Reds.
The City manager was speaking after his side beat Spanish outfit Girona in a friendly 2-0 on Saturday thanks to goals from De Bruyne and Haaland. “At the moment, we have four or five players, and we will have to wait and see how the others come back,” Guardiola said .
“But we just don’t have players because the big brains of football decided this schedule and we are going to play this game (against Liverpool). Some players are coming back now and in the next few days and step by step, they will re-join their team-mates here.
“People are coming back soon. Nathan (Ake), Aymer (Laporte), and Rodri, and later the players from the England and Portugal teams.”
Six of Liverpool's seven players out at the World Cup reached the quarter-final stage. City have had 16 players in Qatar. Only five were either knocked out at the group stage or round of 16.
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