Boss Pep Guardiola has confirmed that England duo Kyle Walker and Kalvin Phillips may not feature for Manchester City until after the 2022 Qatar World Cup, though he did not rule them out of getting the nod from Three Lions coach Gareth Southgate.
City right-back Walker has been out on the sidelines due to a groin injury, while ex-Leeds midfield marshall Phillips sustained a shoulder problem [that has blighted his career at the Etihad] and went under the knife back in September.
It is believed the pair are having a sufficient period of convalescence and won't feature in Man City's Premier League clash against Leicester City at the King Power Stadium on Saturday.
“In a positive way. They are optimistic and they are in touch with the national team. Hopefully, they will be OK to be selected but it is up to the national team,” Guardiola replied when asked about how Walker and Phillips have reacted to their situation.
Erling Haaland came off at half-time against Borussia Dortmund, with the Spaniard reporting the in-form striker had a slight problem with his foot and a fever.
However, Guardiola revealed that the Norwegian’s fitness would be assessed before he makes a decision on whether to start him for the match against the Foxes tomorrow.
“He is better,” the Cityzens boss said. “He is training this afternoon and we will assess in a few hours. We will see how he is feeling and if he is fit. After that, we will decide.
"It’s not 24 hours. I will know in two hours if he is ready to play or not."
When quizzed about Brendan Rodgers' work at Leicester, Guardiola answered: "Especially in the bad moments the way he reacts, the club is stable. He knows exactly what he needs to do. When everything is going well it is easy to be a manager, when you handle it when it is not going well.
"The expectations always with Leicester after what they did in the past - winning the Premier League, FA Cup, Community Shield - is always being at the top.
"Not qualifying for the Champions League for just one game when it was in their hands. The expectation is high and not easy to handle, but you have seen they have lost one game in the last four or five, so they are back."
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