Guardiola confirms both wingers nearing Manchester City return from injury while explaining Erling Haaland and Bernardo Silva absences
Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola delivered encouraging news regarding the fitness of wingers Jérémy Doku and Savinho, confirming both players are approaching returns after extended absences.
Savinho has been sidelined for almost seven weeks since last playing on New Year’s Day, while Doku hasn’t featured since being substituted during City’s Champions League victory over Galatasaray a month ago.
The Belgian winger appears closest to rejoining the squad, though Guardiola acknowledged he still hasn’t resumed full training with the first team.
His absence forced the manager’s hand during Saturday’s FA Cup fourth round tie against Salford City, where City’s lack of wide attacking options became apparent despite advancing in the competition.
“Jeremy is close,” Guardiola said. “He still doesn’t train with us, but we will see. He’s a little better, but [against Salford] we needed wingers. We know how important he is. It helps us a lot in how we play. I’m more than delighted with how we behave.”
The Catalan tactician emphasized how having multiple quality wingers available transforms City’s offensive capabilities by forcing opponents into deeper defensive positions.
“Antoine [Semenyo] has played a lot of minutes, if you make shifts with Doku, Semenyo, Savinho, the opponents defend in their box for 90 minutes,” Guardiola explained. “That’s why everything was so difficult [on Saturday].”
Savinho impresses in training ahead of return
Savinho‘s rehabilitation has progressed to the point where he participated in full training sessions this week, delivering performances that clearly impressed Guardiola.
The 21-year-old Brazilian’s work during those sessions suggested he’s physically ready to return, though City opted against risking him in the Salford match.
“He’s been out for six weeks,” Guardiola said. “He could [have played] a few minutes, but we didn’t want to take risks. Training two days ago was wow, so good. He’s close.”
Suggested Articles
Guardiola also took the opportunity to discuss Savinho‘s development trajectory, suggesting the young winger possesses exceptional raw talent that will reach elite levels once he refines certain aspects of his game.
“Already Savinho, when he will learn to make the finished product he will be an unbelievable winger on both sides,” Guardiola said. “Now we have a long week and players coming back.”
🔵🇧🇷 Pep Guardiola: “When Savinho learns to become a finished product in terms of assists, he will be an unbelievable winger on both sides!”.@BeanymanSports 🎥 pic.twitter.com/DMFeyAJ8Iz
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) February 16, 2026
Haaland and Silva miss Salford tie with fitness concerns
While Doku and Savinho move closer to availability, City navigated Saturday’s FA Cup match without several other key contributors.
Erling Haaland was excluded from the squad despite scoring in Wednesday’s 3-0 home victory over Fulham, where he was substituted at halftime and replaced by Omar Marmoush.
The Norway international has been phenomenal this season with 29 goals across all competitions, making his absence notable even for a lower-priority cup match against lower-league opposition.
Speaking Friday, Guardiola addressed Haaland’s condition while downplaying concerns about the severity of his issue.
“Erling’s not 100 per cent but we’ll see today how he feels,” Guardiola said. “It’s not a big issue, the doctor said to me. But had some disturbance before and during the game and that’s why second half he didn’t play. We will see his evolution.”
Bernardo Silva also missed the Salford fixture, with City confirming the Portuguese midfielder is “not fully fit” without providing additional details about the nature of his condition.
