Pep Guardiola issues Rodri, John Stones & Bernardo Silva injury updates ahead of Champions League clash with RB Leipzig

Pep Guardiola says Bernardo Silva, John Stones, and Rodri will travel for Manchester City’s Champions League clash with RB Leipzig.

The treble-winners travel to east Germany to play Bundesliga side RB Leipzig in matchday two of the UEFA Champions League Group Stages, and face a familiar opponent in Marco Rose’s side in midweek. 

City have been without this key trio in recent times, with Rodri serving a three-match ban for the red card he picked up at Nottingham Forest, Silva coming off injured in their 3-1 win against Red Star in the Champions League last month, and Stones recovering from a thigh injury.

Ahead of Wednesday’s trip to Leipzig, Guardiola said Rodri will start against the German side and he has not ruled out Stones and Silva returning to action, too.

The City manager told reporters today: “They feel better, Bernardo better than John. Both travel and we are going to decide tomorrow. Really happy that they’re back.

“John couldn’t play one minute this season and Bernardo had a pre-season with the birth of his beautiful daughter and also was injured a little bit, with disruptions, which made it a little bit longer. But they’re back which is good news for us.”

He added: “Always with negative things you have to take the positives. Tomorrow Rodri is going to play the game and then I give him a rest, he will go to Madrid for four or five days before the national team in the international break.”

City suffered their first defeat of the Premier League season with a 2-1 loss to Wolves last weekend, and a few days prior they fell to a 1-0 defeat to Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup.

After taking on Leipzig, City travel to Arsenal in the league in another huge clash. If they can get some key personnel back, that would be a huge boost ahead of the international break – which begins after this weekend’s fixtures.