Pep Guardiola delivers Jeremy Doku fitness update ahead of Liverpool showdown

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has provided a fitness update around winger Jeremy Doku, following his absence from Champions League action this week.

The Belgian winger was absent from Manchester City’s final training session before their UEFA Champions League quarter-final meeting with Copenhagen on Tuesday afternoon, sparking fresh concerns over his fitness at a crucial phase of the club’s season.

Doku featured in Manchester City’s 3-1 win over Manchester United the weekend prior, but his subsequent absence from midweek duties has thrown his availability into doubt for the club’s next contest in the Premier League against Liverpool.

Pep Guardiola will be hoping that the problem isn’t too serious for one of his attacking mainstays, especially at a time when his left-sided attacking alternative in Jack Grealish is also expected to miss a number of weeks through a groin problem.

However, speaking to TNT Sports around Manchester City’s 3-1 win over FC Copenhagen on Wednesday night, manager Pep Guardiola offered some hope of a minor problem having revealed that Doku was not involved in the contest due to “some niggles”.

“We will not take the risk,” the Manchester City boss added ahead of the game that would ultimately mark the reigning champions of Europe’s qualification through to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League.

Manchester City travel to Anfield on Sunday afternoon knowing that a win over Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool will ensure their position as outright Premier League leaders in a hotly-contested title race that could yet see Aston Villa challenge Arsenal and the north-west clubs.

City will also host Newcastle United in the Emirates FA Cup quarter-final later this month, before closing out a hugely important March fixture list with a Premier League clash against Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium.

In amongst that calendar, Manchester City will also find out their fate for the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals, with Europe’s premier clubs set to go head-to-head in a two-week period in April.