Pep Guardiola has confirmed that Manchester City will be without John Stones and Bernardo Silva for Saturday's Premier League trip to Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Stones has not played for the Citizens since the Community Shield loss to Arsenal at the beginning of August due to a muscle injury, and has subsequently missed each of the last nine games across all competitions.
Bernardo, meanwhile, has missed the last two games after picking up an unspecified leg problem in the first half of City's Champions League group-stage win over Red Star Belgrade just under two weeks ago.
Both players remain in the treatment room along with long-term absentee Kevin De Bruyne (hamstring), who is not expected to return to first-team action until 2024.
While Guardiola has not put a timescale on Bernardo's return, the Catalan boss has provided a promising update on when Stones could make his first-team comeback.
Speaking at a press conference on Friday ahead of their trip to Molineux on Saturday, Guardiola said: "We have training this afternoon. John is not ready. Kevin is not ready. Bernardo is not okay – I think the rest are fine, though, maybe someone else that I don't have in my mind.
"John is better, much better. He feels really good. He is training alone, but maybe next week or after Leipzig (on October 4) he will start."
Man City are also having to cope without midfielder Rodri, who will serve the second of his three-game domestic ban against Wolves following his red card for violent conduct in the 2-0 league win over Nottingham Forest last weekend.
Rodri served the first game of his suspension when Man City suffered a 1-0 defeat at Newcastle United in the EFL Cup third round on Wednesday night.
Discussing Rodri's absence, Guardiola said: "It is what is. It's a pity, but if you are not (available) you are not. I have to find a solution. I am not here to complain.
"Just for the fact the number of minutes he has played and the consistency in many things – of course he is not easy to replace."
The absence of Rodri could present an opportunity for Kalvin Phillips to be handed just his third Premier League start since joining the club from Leeds United last summer.
Phillips came on as a second-half substitute in the win against Forest after Rodri's dismissal, before playing the full 90 minutes in the midweek defeat to Newcastle.
"[Phillips] has a chance like the other ones," said Guardiola. "He's part of the group, [he has made] an incredible contribution when he doesn't play. I don't have any complaints.
"Sometimes we look for something specific (when selecting the team). If another team has the skills. Kalvin is a perfect one if the game is everything with the details he struggles more. Newcastle was tough, he was there, his physicality. He helped us to win against Forest."
Phillips is set to face competition for a start in midfield from summer signings Matheus Nunes and Mateo Kovacic, though, with the latter making a return to the first XI in midweek after recovering from a back muscle issue.
Man City will look to preserve their perfect start in the Premier League and win a seventh successive game when they take on Wolves, who have only won one of their opening six league games so far this season. body check tags ::
