Guardiola hails Young Blues for stepping up | OneFootball

Pep Guardiola paid tribute to his Academy aces who stepped up to star in our Carabao Cup clash with Tottenham.

The Blues are struggling with injuries at present with a host of players on the treatment table at the CFA.

So the boss had to shuffle his pack for the Round Four clash with Nico O’Reilly starting in the capital and Youth Cup-winning captain Jahmai Simpson-Pusey coming on for his senior debut, joining O’Reilly and fellow graduates James McAtee, Rico Lewis and Jacob Wright on the pitch in the second half.

The manager hailed his Young Blues for their performance in the capital.

“The Nico we saw tonight was the Nico we met last season – what a game he played.

“This competition is very good to give players this chance. Jamai was exceptional at centre-half in the minutes he played.

“James McAtee – what a game he had – and Nico and Jacob played really well.

“I’m really pleased with what I’ve seen – really pleased. 90 minutes, so composed against a team that is so, so dangerous.”

In terms of injuries, the manager is playing a waiting game with Manuel Akanji and Savinho.

Akanji was unable to start the game, despite being named in the first XI while the Brazilian was stretchered off in the second half.

Of his other absentees, Guardiola said he didn’t expect to see Kyle Walker, Kevin De Bruyne or Jack Grealish before the next international break.

“We’ll see tomorrow,” he said of his latest injury issues.

“We are in real difficulty because the guys who finish had some problems but we will see how they recover.

“I think when we are in trouble, because in nine years I never had this situation with many injuries for many reasons, in this situation, the players step forward more than ever in all they try to do.

“We have a short time for recovery this week. We have 13 outfield players.”

“He had a knock in the 18-yard box but we will see tomorrow what happened,” he added on Savinho.

“We have to see if it was just a knock or something else. It was on the bone, so hopefully nothing dangerous, but we will have to see tomorrow.

“Our captain is injured. I don’t think he or Kevin will be back until after the international break. Jack Grealish as well.

“It’s tough. Akanji felt something in the muscular part of his body - he wanted to take a risk, but we said no, no risk.

“Ruben is struggling sometimes as well. It’s been getting more difficult game by game – maybe we will be all back together at some point.

“The guys who are here are fighting to be with us, 24 hours a day. I won’t forget this.”