Overview
- Guardiola said Friday that Rodri still does not feel comfortable and will be assessed later for Saturday’s Brentford match after the midfielder missed training.
- Ruben Dias and Joško Gvardiol rejoined first‑team training this week after a thigh problem for Dias and a January leg fracture for Gvardiol, restoring depth at centre‑back.
- City sit five points behind Arsenal with a game in hand, so beating Brentford at the Etihad would cut the gap before Arsenal travel to West Ham on Sunday.
- The urgency spiked after Monday’s 3-3 draw at Everton, where Jeremy Doku’s 97th‑minute equaliser salvaged a point and left City needing wins to keep pace.
- Nico González and Mateo Kovačić are candidates to deputise if Rodri is out, while Guardiola noted Gvardiol’s recovery could help both City’s run‑in and Croatia’s World Cup plans, with the FA Cup final against Chelsea on May 16 also looming.