Manchester City’s injury worries are easing just in time for Liverpool’s visit to the Etihad, with Pep Guardiola issuing a subtle warning as he confirmed he now has “weapons” available again.
Speaking ahead of Sunday’s blockbuster clash, Guardiola told mancity.com:
“You can see the bench now — we have options to switch systems and change the game. The substitutes can make a massive difference.”
The Spaniard, who led City to a third-place finish last season, admitted that the return of key players after a tough injury spell has completely boosted their squad depth.
“Last season that wasn’t possible, and it was a major reason we struggled,” he said. “Now we’ve got depth again. Anyone can come on and make an impact.”
It sets the tone for another fierce Premier League battle between English football’s most intense rivals in recent years.
City will still be without Mateo Kovacic, with the Croatian ruled out until March 2026 due to an ankle issue, as per premierleagueinjuries.com. Guardiola accepted the midfielder “will be out for a while”, though the blow is softened by the return of several others.
From a Liverpool viewpoint, this fixture is another opportunity to assess how far Arne Slot’s rebuilt squad has progressed.
Slot confirmed in his pre-match briefing that Alexander Isak is back in full training, although he cautioned fans not to expect him to be “at his peak straight away”.
The Reds boss also revealed that Alisson Becker and Jeremie Frimpong should return after the international break, providing much-needed stability and depth to the defence.
Opta’s supercomputer has City as favourites, handing Guardiola’s men a 45.4% chance of victory compared to Liverpool’s 27.7% — but statistics rarely paint the full picture when these two collide.
Mohamed Salah is only one goal contribution away from overtaking Wayne Rooney’s record for most goal involvements at a single Premier League club — and few teams have suffered more from his brilliance than City.
City may feel their “weapons” are back, but Liverpool have been sharpening theirs quietly over the last two matches.
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