Manchester City advanced to the Carabao Cup second round thanks to goals from Riyad Mahrez and Julian Alvarez.
Pep Guardiola revealed that he replaced Aymeric Laporte late in Manchester City’s Carabao Cup win over Chelsea as a “precaution.”
The defender was injured twice during City’s 2-0 victory, and he was the only substitute Guardiola used after City took the lead early in the second half. The center-back is also expected to be named to Spain’s World Cup squad, but City manager Pep Guardiola believes the injury is minor.
“He felt… I think it is ok but in the last minutes he had some discomfort and as a precaution, we made a substitution with Nathan [Ake],” Guardiola told reporters after the game.
Meanwhile, Kalvin Phillips played his first match in nearly two months after recovering from a shoulder injury. The midfielder is hoping to be named in Gareth Southgate’s England squad on Thursday, and Guardiola said he has a big role to play at the club level after the competition in Qatar.
“Kalvin made a good 40 minutes. It’s a long time he hasn’t played and he played with an incredible personality,” opined the former Barcelona boss.
“He has to get some bits that are normal how to play, but in the second part of the season after the World Cup we will need him because Rodri cannot be all the time.”
Stefan Ortega Moreno was named man of the match by the club and Guardiola was also full of praise for the goalkeeper, who he described as ‘exceptional’.
“It’s not the first game, the game in Dortmund was exceptional,” he said. “The game against Sevilla was exceptional. We saw him every day and I think the club made a great signing with him.
“He’s an exceptional goalkeeper in all departments, in the goal, with the feet, and in the end, Chelsea didn’t score a goal because he saved it. It’s good for Eddy [Ederson] too. Maintaining the levels is so important. Stefan is an exceptional keeper.”
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