CITY PLAYERS DON’T BELIEVE PEP TALK
They are ready and eager to play despite Guardiola’s concern
MANCHESTER ACCRA: It took Liverpool and Egypt star Mohamed Salah just three years to transform from a Chelsea reject to being crowned African Player of the Year in Ghana Thursday.
Salah failed to blossom after moving from Swiss outfit Basel to Stamford Bridge, leading to him being lent to Serie A sides Fiorentina and AS Roma, then sold to the latter.
At Roma, his career took off as he scored 29 goals in two seasons and created 17 others to draw the attention of several English Premier League suitors.
Liverpool made a successful 3-1 win over Watford, a result that maintained City’s 15-point lead at the top of the Premier League, that English football’s busy Christmas and New Year schedule was “going to kill the players.”
Yet midfielder Fernandinho and goalkeeper Ederson have both said they are happy to be playing so many games, and would gladly face Burnley this weekend, even though their manager is considering changes to keep senior players fresh.
“I spent New Year’s Day at home with my child and my wife and I was fresh,” said Fernandinho. “We will see what Pep is going to do but, for sure, every player is going to be ready if he needs them to play.
“We are here, we are professional, and I don’t like to rest.”
Ederson is likely to be replaced by Claudio Bravo, who has featured in all of City’s League Cup ties this season, but the Brazil goalkeeper indicated that he is ready to play too.
“All the players like to play games, so it is great we have so many matches,” he said. “Also, the team are playing really well.
“We had an amazing month in December. We are playing great football and we are getting good results so we are really happy.”
City have not lost a domestic game since they were knocked out of last season’s FA Cup by Arsenal at the semi-final stage in April.
They did, though, find it tough against Burnley in the Premier League fixture at the Etihad Stadium in October, needing two quick goals from Nicolas Otamendi and Leroy Sane in the final 20 minutes to ensure a flattering 3-0 victory.
City remain without striker Gabriel Jesus, who will be absent until February with medial knee ligament damage suffered during the 0-0 draw at Crystal Palace on Sunday, while right-back Kyle Walker is a doubt after limping off against Watford with a groin problem.
Midfielder David Silva has missed several recent matches to be with his young son Mateo, who is seriously ill after being born prematurely.
Burnley manager Sean Dyche has indicated that he will rest several players after seeing their form slip over Christmas and New Year.
Leading scorer Chris Wood and left-back Stephen Ward will be assessed to see if they are over the knee injuries that have kept them out of recent fixtures.
Dyche’s side are without a win in five Premier League matches, although they remain seventh in the table.
Burnley fell victim to arguably the greatest upset of last season’s FA Cup, losing at home to Lincoln City, then a non-league club, in the fifth round in February. AFP in the knowledge that no one was going past them.”
Another former Liverpool star, Gary McAllister, said the Egyptian combined individual skill with teamwork.
“Mohamed has wonderful flair, but also works effortlessly for the side and is very much a team player. He is also capable of scoring from all areas of the pitch.”
Most Egyptian stars eventually play for one of the Cairo club giants — Al Ahly or Zamalek — before considering a move to Europe.
But Salah never lined up for the “Red Devils” of Ahly or the “White Knights” of Zamalek, turning out for less fashionable El Mokawloon instead in the Egyptian capital.
His goals attracted the attention of Basel, who signed him after Egyptian domestic football was suspended in 2012 when a football-related Port Said riot claimed more than 70 lives.
He played for Egypt at under20 and under-23 levels before making his senior debut and was the leading 2018 World Cup qualifying scorer in Africa with five goals. AFP