Pep Guardiola remains cautious with the young midfielder’s availability while balancing a thinning squad and a looming Champions League trip to Madrid
Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola has provided a crucial fitness update on breakout star Nico O’Reilly as the Blues prepare for a high-stakes FA Cup fifth-round encounter at St. James’ Park.
Guardiola confirmed that the 20-year-old midfielder “feels better” after being sidelined for the midweek draw against Nottingham Forest with an ankle injury sustained against Leeds United at Elland Road.
While O’Reilly has returned to light training, a final decision on his inclusion in the matchday squad will be made following a late assessment on Friday evening.
The potential return of O’Reilly comes at a pivotal moment for City, whose seven-match winning streak was halted by a resilient Forest side on Wednesday.
“He feels better, we will see today,” Guardiola said in his pre-match press conference.
The draw allowed Arsenal to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League to seven points, placing even greater emphasis on City’s pursuit of silverware in the domestic cup and Europe.
However, Guardiola hinted that he may be reluctant to risk the England international this weekend, with the opening leg of a massive Champions League Round of 16 tie against Real Madrid at the Bernabéu scheduled for next Wednesday, March 11.
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Defensive hurdles remain as Rodri and Kovacic show signs of progress
While the news on O’Reilly is largely positive, City’s defensive options remain compromised by significant absences.
Josko Gvardiol continues his rehabilitation from a tibial fracture suffered in early January and is expected to miss several more weeks of action.
Mateo Kovacic has finally returned to light training after recovering from an Achilles injury sustained in November 2025, with a competitive return potentially on the horizon by the end of March.
Additionally, Guardiola offered an encouraging assessment of Rodri, who is gaining momentum after an injury-plagued year. The manager noted that the Spaniard is getting “better and better” with every minute on the pitch, though he may still make changes at St. James’ Park to cope with a relentless three-competition schedule.
“Finally it’s happening like we wanted a long time ago, when [Rodri] came back, to not have setbacks, have consistency to play, play, and play,” Guardiola added.
“Step by step he’s getting better and better. Everybody knows it.”
The highly anticipated FA Cup fifth-round encounter between Newcastle United and Manchester City is scheduled to take place on Saturday.