Pep Guardiola’s pre-Al Ain press conference:
Guardiola: “I would like, on behalf of the whole of Man City, to congratulate Michel Platini on turning 70 years-old. Unfortunately, Michel, you are not a a teenager anymore.”
Guardiola: “The only thing we want from John [Stones] is to be fit; to make his lovely job, playing football, consistently, and in a different way to especially last season. It's the only thing we want. The rest, his talent and ability will do it and we're going to help him and I'm pretty sure he's going to do the rest.”
Guardiola: “I would like, on behalf of the whole of Man City, to congratulate Michel Platini on turning 70 years-old. Unfortunately, Michel, you are not a a teenager anymore.”
Guardiola: “The only thing we want from John [Stones] is to be fit; to make his lovely job, playing football, consistently, and in a different way to especially last season. It's the only thing we want. The rest, his talent and ability will do it and we're going to help him and I'm pretty sure he's going to do the rest.”
Guardiola: “We have a lot of respect for Al Ain, for the connection to our owners being from Abu Dhabi, and of course we have a huge opportunity to go to the next round and we'll see... Many things can happen, and we're going to take it seriously.”
Guardiola on Ilkay Gundogan's Man City future: “No news, good news. I don't know anything, I didn't speak with him, and if he will not be part he would not be here. But at the same time, we have - right now - a long squad, too many players, so we cannot go with 26, 27 players this season because there would be more without playing, and step by step maybe a few players are going to more. But right now, Ilkay is absolutely part of my mind and the team.”
Guardiola on Ilkay Gundogan's Man City future: “No news, good news. I don't know anything, I didn't speak with him, and if he will not be part he would not be here. But at the same time, we have - right now - a long squad, too many players, so we cannot go with 26, 27 players this season because there would be more without playing, and step by step maybe a few players are going to more. But right now, Ilkay is absolutely part of my mind and the team.”
Rodri will not start for Man City vs. Al Ain, while John Stones is not ready to start.
Guardiola to Sky Sports’ Kaveh Solhekol on not winning a trophy last season: “No, it's not true, my friend I'm sorry to tell you. You would like it, but it's not true. We won the Community Shield! Thank you... I know it's not enough, but we won it!”
Nico: “[Is Rodri as good as I thought he would be?] Even better. I try to see all the passes the players don't see and take as much from him as I can.
He was here in America at the Super Bowl [when I joined] and had a couple of weeks off. He helps me a lot - he is Spanish and we are starting to have a good relationship.
He has been [back] a couple of months - he is an amazing player and really good in everything that can be good in a midfielder.
I am trying to learn the most I can and I think I am starting to watch him at his best level. I am seeing things that I haven't seen in a lot of midfielders.”
He was here in America at the Super Bowl [when I joined] and had a couple of weeks off. He helps me a lot - he is Spanish and we are starting to have a good relationship.
He has been [back] a couple of months - he is an amazing player and really good in everything that can be good in a midfielder.
I am trying to learn the most I can and I think I am starting to watch him at his best level. I am seeing things that I haven't seen in a lot of midfielders.”
Pep Guardiola: "Rayan Cherki, we know his potential, I see many things in the training sessions and think, 'What a player!'" [via DAZNFootball] #FIFACWC