‘Is it realistic?...’-Pep Guardiola confirms star player's absence in the EPL vs Newcastle United

In Saturday’s Premier League matchup, Newcastle is set to face off against a dominant Manchester City squad at 11:00 pm. With Newcastle struggling to find their form and Manchester City sitting comfortably in third place, the odds seem to heavily favor the visiting team. Man City's impressive goal-scoring abilities and solid defensive record make them a formidable opponent. The stage is set for an exciting clash at St James' Park, but Newcastle faces a tough challenge to upset the odds.

3 things you need to know 

• Newcastle United vs Manchester City will be played tonight 
• Manchester City is 3rd on the table, 5 points behind the 1st place 
• Newcastle United stands 9th on the EPL table with 29 points 

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Per Guardiola provides a major update on Erling Haaland’s injury 

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has confirmed that Erling Haaland would be out due to a foot injury, following John Stones on the list of absentees for their upcoming Premier League match against Newcastle United. On a more positive note, Guardiola intimated that Kevin de Bruyne may start the contest. According to Reuters, Pep Guardiola said in a press conference ahead of the match: 

"Jack (Grealish) has been sick, hopefully today he is back, Erling is out and John (Stones) is out. I think that is everything," 

Guardiola also spoke on Kevin de Bruyne's development, adding that the Belgian midfielder has improved since his return to the squad during the FA Cup third-round victory against Huddersfield. De Bruyne demonstrated his effect by assisting in that crucial win, capping off an outstanding comeback to the pitch after a lengthy absence. Guardiola showed hope, indicating that De Bruyne may start against Newcastle on Saturday. He added: 

“Yes. From what I saw yesterday I feel really good, he was dynamic, and the minutes he played was better than the training sessions before the Huddersfield game.”

"He is getting better now, he will have a few days off after this game and can train in Abu Dhabi to be better for the next few months."

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Pep Guardiola eyes his 4th EPL title in a row with Manchester City

In addition, the Manchester City manager emphasised that his club has a realistic chance of winning the Premier League for the fourth time in a row. Despite a lacklustre performance in November, City has managed to maintain its lead in the Premier League rankings as they are only 5 points behind Liverpool at the top spot. Guardiola is confident in his team's prospects of winning another league title. He said: 

"Right now, yeah. How many points left? 18 or 19 games... so obviously mathematically possible," 

“Is it realistic? At the moment, it's far away so I don't know. I will answer this question when we are six, seven games out.”