Guardiola Calls Chelsea Clash a ‘Final’ as City Debut New Signings

MANCHESTER, England — Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has confirmed that the club’s three January signings will be available for Saturday’s crucial Premier League clash against Chelsea, a match he described as a ‘final.’ The new arrivals include defenders Vitor from Palmeiras and Khusanov from Lens, as well as forward Marmoush from Eintracht Frankfurt.

Guardiola expressed confidence in the trio’s ability to contribute despite their recent arrivals. ‘Vitor is young. He has a huge personality [but he] needs time,’ Guardiola said of the 18-year-old Brazilian. ‘If he’s here with us, of course, he can start.’ He added that Khusanov, who has experience in the French league, will need to adapt to the language barrier, while Marmoush is expected to settle quickly.

The City boss also addressed the absence of key players Ruben Dias and another unnamed defender due to injuries. ‘Ruben Dias has an adductor injury,’ Guardiola confirmed. ‘I don’t know how long he’ll be out for. He’s been stable and able to play a lot of games, but this season, it is what it is.’

With Chelsea coming off a 1-0 victory over a rival team, Guardiola emphasized the importance of the upcoming match. ‘We are very close in the table, even with the big problems we had in the recent past,’ he said. ‘The next two games [against Chelsea and Club Brugge in the UEFA Champions League] are really, really important. [They are] finals for us. Our people will support us.’

Guardiola also praised Chelsea’s head coach, his former assistant, for the progress made since taking over last summer. ‘I recognized his team from day one, even when we played them in the summer camp in the States,’ he said. ‘[There were] many things I started to see that we spoke about many, many times in the last years together. [It is] really, really good.’

The match, set to take place at the Etihad Stadium, could see City leapfrog Chelsea into fourth place in the Premier League table, adding further stakes to what Guardiola has already labeled a pivotal encounter.