Pep Guardiola believes Manchester City’s push for Champions League qualification will go to the “95th minute” and the last corner at Fulham on Sunday. City’s goal difference means a draw should guarantee a top-five finish but the manager is convinced it will go to the wire.
Guardiola said: “I knew this already, that it will be the last moment, when 95 minutes are up it will be decided if we will play in the Champions League. And I’m not wrong. So I know we have to arrive at the end, the last corner, and we have to be ready.”
Phil Foden has endured an uneven season at City owing to what the forward has described as challenges “off the pitch mentally” and an ankle injury sustained in April that has not 100% healed. Guardiola says Foden needs to “feel good”, so in the first instance is not concerned with his performance.
“He’s a baby boy from the academy and became a star with us,” Guardiola said. “We want to help him, that’s the most important thing. He needs rest and it’s going to happen now after Sunday. Step by step he is going to come back – that is what we want. I just want to help him. I don’t care about his performance on the pitch, I want him to feel good and after the rest will come in an easy way.”
Foden was left out of the England squad named by Thomas Tuchel on Friday . “What happened with England belongs to Thomas,” said Guardiola, who said the intention was to include Foden in next month’s Club World Cup squad but that Kyle Walker, on loan at Milan, would not be there.
Guardiola was asked whether Kevin De Bruyne, whose contract is not being renewed when it expires at the end of June, would go with City to the US. “We will see,” he said. “Now I’m just focused on Sunday. After that the club will take the decision.”
Rodri returned from the serious knee injury sustained in early September for the last seven minutes of Tuesday’s 3-1 win over Bournemouth but is not ready to start. “He’s a long way to be what Rodri was,” Guardiola said. “It will be next season when he will start to be the Rodri [we know].”
