Pep Guardiola spoke to the media ahead of the first Manchester derby of the season, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side welcoming the Premier League champions for tomorrow's lunchtime kick-off. Guardiola discussed Kyle Walker's fitness, Xavi set to become the next Barcelona manager, Solskjaer and United, Ronaldo, and the derby feeling.
Firstly Guardiola spoke about Kyle Walker's fitness ahead of the game:
"Right now I don't know. We have training in a few hours and we will know it. Right now I don't know."
Pep on Xavi set to become the Barcelona manager:
"I didn't speak with him. Best wishes and I'm sure he'll do a good job."
Pep on what he's learning about City this season:
"10 games, we have two bad results. The first one against Tottenham we were missing eight or nine players. Always, even if you are winning many games in a row, you can improve. We will try to continue in this way."
Pep on his record against Solskjaer/United:
"Congratulations for United for winning these duals against us... or some of them.
They do what they have done week by week, they have the ability to win games by themselves. Man United, what should I say, A good team with the quality, last season wasn't bad, what we have done in the Premier League, similar we prepare well this afternoon."
Pep on how close Ronaldo was to joining City in the summer:
"I don't talk about players for other clubs."
Pep on his confidence without a striker:
"I'm not a magician – if I knew I'd tell you. Just trust a bit how many goals we scored last year without a striker? Maybe in the future, we will buy a proper striker, who knows. We are who we are, I spoke many times if we can do it or not do it, we have enough players."
Pep on form/the need for a striker changing depending on the result:
"When you don’t score goals it is ‘be calm for the next one’. When you score it is ‘be calm’ for the next one. In three days we don’t need a striker and then after that we need to buy seven strikers. One day we might buy a striker and he doesn't score. We need to be calm and go out and do our game."
Pep on encounters with United:
"We did good games against them, maybe not a good result, except one game last season which was a little bit boring... In general, we played good games. We were ourselves when we played them. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose."
Pep on whether a derby means more around a club:
"I don't feel it. I wake up in the morning, I'm here 10-14 hours then go home, I'm not in the restaurants. I can imagine for both sides. The emotion, try to win the derby and do well. I have to be cold. To know what we have to do, do our best."
Written by: @NA1907_
All quotes as quoted by Manchester Evening News and Manchester City.
Follow our Twitter account for reliable, live updates on all the latest news surrounding this story and everything Manchester City in real time.