David Silva is almost certain to miss Manchester City’s meeting with Bournemouth at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday due to injury, with Pep Guardiola also assessing if Ilkay Gündogan can play a second game in four days.
Silva missed Wednesday night’s 4-0 win over Borussia Mönchengladbach in the Champions League due to a knock he received in training. Asked if the Spaniard can face Eddie Howe’s team Guardiola said: “I don’t think tomorrow will be enough [time]. I didn’t see the doctor or David. I don’t think it’s a big, big problem but it happened two days ago so I don’t think he’ll be able to play.”
Gündogan’s start against Mönchengladbach was his first since joining City in the summer following a serious knee injury.
Guardiola is yet to decide if the midfielder can play on Saturday. He said: “I’m thinking about it – I don’t know. He played good but we cannot forget he comes from a long-term injury. We’ll see today, we’ll talk to the doctors.”
Vincent Kompany is still not match fit. “Vincent is close but not yet,” said the Catalan. “We need him. There’s a lot of games to come. We need everybody.”
City have won all seven of their outings so far this season but Guardiola admits he can only enjoy victory for a few hours before worrying about the next opponent.
“The trainers, when we win, after one hour, maybe three or four – we are so, so happy but then after we start to worry about the next one,” he said. “We worry about Bournemouth’s strikers, how they’re going to play, what they’re going to do. I’ve watched many of their games. They played really, really well against West Ham and against Manchester United - they were in the game right until [Juan] Mata scored. There are many, many things I like.
“Any team can beat you – I feel that. And I’m going to feel that tomorrow. I allow myself to satisfied for an hour or two hours after a game but the day after you worry about what is going to happen.
“Tomorrow at 3pm, we start again and what we did in the past is the past – there are no guarantees to play good or win the game. That’s why this job is so beautiful.”
Sergio Agüero is close to finally signing a contract extension that has been in negotiation for much of the year. “I don’t know if I am the right person to talk about that,” said Guardiola. “I think he’s going to extend the contract but it’s not official. I am not the right person to know if it’s definitely going to happen. I think he’s a good player, no? He’s a player you want to stay. We cannot disguise his quality. If he stays I will be so, so happy.”
Guardiola would not be drawn on Roy Keane’s claim that Guardiola is the Special One and not his Manchester United rival, José Mourinho. “Nothing – it makes no difference,” he said.
