Manchester City captain Bernardo Silva is a major doubt for Sunday’s Premier League trip to Liverpool.
City booked their place at Wembley with a 3-1 second-leg win, sealing a dominant 5-1 aggregate triumph, but Silva’s absence was a concern for Guardiola. The Portuguese midfielder had been forced off late during City’s recent league draw at Tottenham and has been struggling with a muscle problem in his back.
Speaking after the Magpies victory, Guardiola gave a cautious update on the influential playmaker’s condition. He said: “I don’t know.
“Bernardo is special. We’ll see. Yesterday he said he felt quite good and ‘I want to try’.
“I don’t know. Of course in a position that is less dangerous than I would say the hamstring. It’s another type of muscle in his back but we’ll see in the next days.
“‘Could be okay’ is not the words. He’s an incredible doubt. Knowing him he will try but right now I don’t know.”
Silva’s potential absence would be a significant blow for City ahead of a huge clash at Anfield on Sunday. Guardiola’s side currently sit second in the Premier League with 47 points from 24 matches, six points behind leaders Arsenal, while Liverpool are sixth on 39 points and pushing for a top-four finish.
The fixture arrives at a critical stage of the season, with City attempting to maintain their title challenge and Liverpool building momentum after a strong 4-1 win over Newcastle in their previous league outing.
Guardiola has repeatedly praised Silva’s determination and leadership, and the City boss knows the midfielder will push hard to recover in time. However, with matches coming thick and fast across competitions, the manager may need to weigh the risks carefully as City chase silverware on multiple fronts.
Whether Silva is fit or not, the clash at Anfield promises to be a defining moment in the title race and the battle for Champions League qualification as two of England’s biggest rivals go head-to-head once again.
