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According to a report from BBC's Simon Stone, Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has had to call off his Friday afternoon press conference after an 'inconclusive' COVID-19 test.
The former Barcelona boss took a test according to the new set of rules the Premier League set to tighten interaction bubbles. Action was taken after a week that saw a spike in positive test results.
The Premier League’s shot-callers are worried after five matches had to be postponed. The league is deliberating taking a break till the new year to stop the spread of the Omicron variant.
The Manchester City boss lost his mother to COVID-19 in 2020 and has strongly advocated measures to control the disease ever since. Pep Guardiola will stay away from his players and staff until he gets the green light to interact with them. If the manager tests positive after a second round of testing, he will be forced to self-isolate for 10 days.
That means Pep Guardiola will likely miss his side’s game against Newcastle on Sunday. If that is the case, Manchester City assistants Juanma Lillo and Rodolfo Borrell are next in line to take charge of the team.
Manchester City currently sit at the top of the Premier League standings and will hope to maintain their position at the top of the table this weekend.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola refuses to take credit for Raheem Sterling's resurgence
Raheem Sterling seemed to have lost his place in Pep Guardiola's Manchester City side, remaining on the fringes of the first team through the start of the current season. Transfer rumors notably put the star on the wishlists of top European clubs but Sterling has had an upturn in form, scoring five goals in his last eight games.
When pushed to take credit for Sterling's new form at Manchester City, Pep Guardiola said:
“I would like to say yes for my ego and for a better contract for the next seasons. I am sorry – that is the most ridiculous thing; all this credit is for the player."
