Man City handed major fitness boost ahead of Liverpool showdown as key player returns following international omission

Pep Guardiola has been handed a major fitness boost ahead of the weekend’s clash with Liverpool, as Manchester City put together their preparations.

City return to domestic club action this weekend following the final international break of the season, as the Premier League title race looks set to take on more twists and turns across a hectic April fixture list in particular.

For Pep Guardiola and his players, that means competing on three different fronts this month alone, with a Premier League calendar accompanied by a two-legged affair with Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals, as well as an FA Cup semi-final tie against Sheffield United.

As such, the Catalan coach will be hoping he has a full compliment of players at his disposal, although the now-concluded international break has caused plenty of concern amongst supporters on social media in particular.

Phil Foden was forced into undergoing surgery on acute appendicitis which could rule him out of action for up to six weeks, while Erling Haaland withdrew from Norway commitments ahead of their first of two matches due to a groin injury.

Elsewhere, Ederson failed to play a single minute for Brazil over the course of the international break, after the Manchester City goalkeeper suffered from stomach problems in the build-up to their respective matches.

However, Guardiola and his Manchester City players have been handed a significant boost this week as the Brazilian stopper trained as normal with the first-team squad at the City Football Academy on Wednesday.

The 29 year-old is on the hunt for a fourth consecutive Premier League Golden Glove award this campaign, but currently finds himself in joint-fourth position – level on 10 clean sheets with compatriot Alisson.

David De Gea is third for the award on 11 clean sheets, while Newcastle United’s Nick Pope and Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsdale are tied in top-spot on 12 clean sheets heading into the final few weeks of the campaign.