Pep Guardiola tests positive for Covid-19

Pep Guardiola will miss Manchester City’s FA Cup third-round tie at Swindon on Friday after testing positive for Covid-19.

The City manager recorded a positive test on Tuesday along with assistant Juanma Lillo.

Both are now isolating, along with a number of other positive cases within the first-team bubble, Man City confirmed.

The club now have 14 backroom staff and seven first-team players isolating due to Covid-19. Assistant coach Rodolfo Borrell will take charge of the team for the trip to Swindon.

Asked how Guardiola was, Borrell said: “He is fine. He has got the virus but fortunately, he doesn’t have a lot of symptoms.”

Borrell would not confirm which players would be unavailable for Friday’s game.

He said: “This is not for me to say. We have seven players (out) and I have to prepare for the game. I would not like to mention them because I might forget one. I don’t think it is for me to say right now.”

Borrell was asked if the high number of cases could lead to the match possibly being postponed.

He said: “We have prepared mentally for the game. We have to prepare for the game to happen. If tomorrow it is not possible because of more news, this is out of our reach for now.

“Possibly, (it will) be one of the most easy line-ups we have to decide. We just play with the ones available. We don’t have much more.”

As things stand, Friday’s FA Cup match at the County Ground will go ahead. Following the fixture with Swindon, City are scheduled to face Chelsea in the Premier League at the Etihad on Saturday, January 15.

Earlier on Thursday, Burnley revealed manager Sean Dyche will miss their tie at home to Huddersfield Town after he tested positive for Covid-19.

His assistant Ian Woan will now take charge of the side until Dyche returns from his isolation period.

Man City’s next six fixtures

January 7: Swindon (A) – FA Cup

January 15: Chelsea (H) – Premier League

January 22: Southampton (A) – Premier League, Sky Sports

February 9: Brentford (H) – Premier League

February 12: Norwich (A) – Premier League, Sky Sports

February 15: Sporting Lisbon (A) – Champions League