Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is looking to improve his squad for the final months of the season as players return from injury

Pep Guardiola cannot wait to welcome Mateo Kovacic back into the Manchester City team after the midfielder returned to the training pitches again. The Croatian midfielder is not expected to return imminently but is well down the road to coming back after his second surgery in the last 12 months.

Kovacic had an operation on an Achilles injury last summer that saw him miss the Club World Cup and ruled him out until September. He made substitute appearances against Everton and Villarreal in the following month but was still in pain and had to undergo more surgery that has seen him out ever since.

Considering he was one of three players Guardiola was counting on in holding midfield this season, and another – Rodri – has also struggled with injuries on his return from an ACL, Kovacic’s absence has been keenly felt. As City look to get stronger for the final months of the season when the Champions League knockouts begin, Guardiola is looking forward to making use of the 31-year-old’s skills and experience.

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“I miss him a lot because his ability in short passes,” he said. “I remember last season when we played without proper wingers and played with a lot of players inside, Bernardo Rodri, him – this connection with Jeremy and Phil was magnificent how they could break 1vs1s, to dribble the opponent and break the next line.

“I have already missed Kova a lot but the last game he played was Fulham before the Club World Cup. He tried to make surgery to be fit for the season and unfortunately it was not good. I spoke with him the last days and he said he feels really, really good compared to the first surgery and hopefully he can help us in the last part of the season.

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“To have continuity of a game every three days will take time but as much as you can select good minutes he is a special player with special quality and mentality – another player for the biggest stages, he is so brave. First for his health and life to play football, that is what we want but Kova is an important player that we miss a lot.”

Jeremy Doku and Savinho are also expected to return from their respective injuries in the coming weeks to further bring down the injury list at the Etihad. That would leave Josko Gvardiol as the only player sidelined, although Rodri could face a ban after being charged by the FA for his comments on refereeing after the Spurs draw.

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Manchester City have been battling some significant injury troubles across the team, with Pep Guardiola giving an update on Erling Haaland’s fitness situation after the Fulham game

The Premier League title race is heating up, as Manchester City applied pressure on Arsenal once again by picking up an important win in midweek action.

A first-half blitz from Pep Guardiola’s men saw them defeat Fulham, as goals from Antoine Semenyo, Nico O’Reilly, and Erling Haaland handed them victory at the Etihad Stadium.

With the gap at the top now down to just three points, it’s up to City’s title rivals Arsenal to respond, as they are in action on Thursday against an in-form Brentford side.

In the meantime, Guardiola will be keen to rally his troops once more, hopeful of avoiding injuries at a key time of the season when they can start to crank up the pressure on their rivals for the Premier League crown.

So, with that said, here’s a look at the latest City injury news, including an update on Haaland after the Fulham victory.

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Erling Haaland

City fans were left nervous over Haaland’s fitness after the goalscorer was substituted at half-time during his side’s win over Fulham.

Fortunately, Guardiola downplayed the issue after the match, as he told reporters: “Niggles. Some problems, he didn’t feel comfortable, it was 3-0.

“The reason why is too many games. Fatigue. He said ‘I don’t feel comfortable’. With 3-0 and with a lot of games and with having Omar [Marmoush], common sense.”

As a result, it’s unclear whether Haaland will feature against Salford in the FA Cup fourth round on Saturday, before City turn back to Premier League action against Newcastle the following weekend.

John Stones

After a spell out of the team through injury, John Stones finally made his return to the City squad again in midweek, featuring on the bench.

The defender was an unused substitute, while he could make an appearance against Salford in the FA Cup over the weekend.

Jeremy Doku

Jeremy Doku is still out through injury, having picked up a calf problem against Galatasaray in the Champions League earlier this season.

There is an expectation that he could return at some point this month, but it remains to be seen whether the recovery will meet that timeline.

Josko Gvardiol

City will be without Josko Gvardiol for the foreseeable future, with the defender picking up a tibial fracture in the clash with Chelsea.

There is hope that the Croatian international will be back at some point before the end of the season, with a few months left for him to make a return.

Savinho

Savinho has struggled to get going this season, having failed to get many minutes on the pitch with some proper momentum, as injuries continue to impact him.

The Brazilian winger was lined up for a possible return this week, but after failing to make the squad against Fulham, it’s unclear exactly when he will be available once again.

Mateo Kovacic

It’s been a tough campaign for Mateo Kovacic, who picked up an ankle problem in November, and has been unable to play for City ever since. A return seems unlikely until next month at the earliest.

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