Pep dodges bullet
Covid scare is false alarm as City boss is cleared for Newcastle trip
PEP GUARDIOLA had a coronavirus scare yesterday — but will be in charge for Manchester City’s trip to Newcastle United tomorrow.
The defending champions are chasing an eighth consecutive Premier League victory and will have their manager on the touchline after a chaotic day at the Etihad. Assistant manager Juanma Lillo and coach Rodolfo Borrell were primed to take the team in his absence.
Guardiola, who had been in Barcelona for Sergio Aguero’s retirement announcement on Wednesday, returned an inconclusive coronavirus test and had to cancel his weekly media briefing.
The 50-year-old later recorded a negative PCR result, announced at 8pm last night, clearing him to take charge of the team at St James’ Park.
Guardiola’s mother, Dolors Sala, died of the virus early in the pandemic and he has been a champion for society to make sure they take up vaccines.
The Catalan has reiterated pleas to follow the science and ‘experts’ over the last 18 months.
City went top of the table earlier in the month as they look to retain their crown for the second time under Guardiola. His absence on the touchline would have presented a major blow, with Jack Grealish making it clear how crucial their manager is by claiming he has singlehandedly won them games.
‘The number of games he has won for us this season from his tactics is just unbelievable,’ the £100million summer signing said.
‘The craziest thing that he does is that every game is a different game plan. I know you have a lot of managers out there that like to stick with the same game plan, no matter what team they are playing, but he is the complete opposite.
‘Every game there is a different way of playing and he has obviously studied that game for the week leading up to it.’
The forward, who scored his third goal of the season during Tuesday’s 7-0 rout of Leeds United, has revealed how his boss continued to offer reassurance amid external question marks over his form following his record-breaking move from Aston Villa.
‘It has probably been a bit more difficult than I thought it was going to be,’ Grealish admitted. ‘I thought I was going to come here and maybe double my goals and assists tally that I had at Villa.
‘It hasn’t been the case, but I still feel like I have done OK. Hopefully now I am settled and starting to get used to the club.
‘He has kept reassuring me that I am playing well. He just kept saying to me, “Make sure you are hanging in there and the goals and assists will come”. Obviously they did the other night and hopefully that is the first of many now.’
Grealish was speaking as part of the club’s This City Loves Christmas campaign, during which thousands of footballs are delivered to primary and foster-care children across the region.
More than 2,000 Christmas dinners have been donated to families, with 450 gifts sent to the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital.
‘It’s important for us to make donations like this, especially at this time of year,’ he added.
‘Hopefully they will give more young people across Manchester the chance to stay active and have fun over the Christmas break.’