Guardiola gives Liverpool an injury hint before Sunday

Manchester City’s schedule has been unforgiving, and they have already played an extra match in midweek, beating Newcastle 3-1 to progress 5-1 on aggregate to the Carabao Cup final.

That is relevant for us because fatigue tends to show up first in pressing intensity and recovery runs, and Bernardo Silva is one of the players Guardiola relies on to keep City’s structure tidy when games start to stretch.

Bernardo Silva’s Premier League output this season is not built on goals, but it is built on control, with four assists and an xA of 2.13, alongside 90% passing accuracy and six big chances created (via SofaScore).

This isn’t the only injury City have to deal with, as premierinjuries.com have shared their full current fitness issues:

Why Bernardo Silva being out would matter for Liverpool’s gameplan

If Manchester City are without Bernardo Silva, it removes a trusted Guardiola outlet who can play in tight spaces, manage tempo, and help them sustain attacks when opponents try to break their rhythm.

It is also one less player capable of doing the dirty work when City lose the ball, which becomes important when we are looking to release Hugo Ekitike early and get Florian Wirtz receiving between the lines.

From our side, injuries have too shaped recent selections, and Arne Slot’s pre-Newcastle update saw him provide updates on no fewer than seven different players.

There is also the longer-term concern around Conor Bradley, with Ben Dinnery warning the knee issue could stretch deep into the year: “If there’s any return in 2026 it would be a massive bonus for Liverpool, but it could quite easily stretch into the early part of 2027.”

All of that is why any uncertainty in City’s squad feels significant, because we are already operating with thinner margins at the back, even after that 4-1 comeback win over Newcastle restored some belief.

For now, the key takeaway is simple: Guardiola has not ruled Bernardo Silva in, and Liverpool will rightly treat City’s captain as a genuine doubt until the team news drops on Sunday.