Manchester City will face Swansea City in the fourth round of the League Cup, with Pep Guardiola hinting that key forward Erling Haaland may be rested following the club’s recent Premier League defeat to Aston Villa. Haaland’s condition continues to be monitored and the final decision on his participation will depend on his recovery and performance in pre-match training.
Haaland suffered an injury after a collision with the goal in City’s 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa. Guardiola confirmed that the striker is recovering daily.
“Erling, I didn’t see him today, but it was a knock and it’s getting better day by day,” Guardiola told a news conference on Tuesday, as quoted by Reuters. “Now we train in the afternoon to find out more about how he feels and decide if he can play.
“Yeah, this is a game where we could rest Erling.
Midfielder Rodri remains unavailable as he recovers from a hamstring injury sustained before the international break in October. Guardiola provided an update, saying:
“Rodri is still not (ready), he is improving, he is training with us,” Guardiola said. “No, I have no idea when it will be available. Hopefully soon, but not yet.”
Pep Guardiola has suggested he will introduce significant squad rotation for the League Cup tie, citing the overloaded schedule facing Manchester City in domestic and European competitions.
Despite coming up against a Championship side, Guardiola maintained his team’s focus, stressing that they will not underestimate the Welsh club.
“It’s not my first time. I’ve played here for 10 seasons and I’ve played many times with (League Cups), FA Cups,” said Guardiola, whose last League Cup triumph came in 2021.
“We’ve always taken teams from lower divisions seriously, otherwise we wouldn’t have had the success we’ve had in the past, so we’re preparing in the same way. Unbelievable focus, sometimes even more.”
City will be aiming to win a fifth league cup under Guardiola.
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Published on:
October 28, 2025
