Fitness boost for Man City as Pep Guardiola plan revealed for Sheffield United

Pep Guardiola will still play a key role in the build-up to Manchester City's trip to Sheffield United on Sunday as he recovers from back surgery.

With the City boss recovering in Barcelona, assistant Juanma Lillo took charge of media duties pre-match and has given some insight into how they plan to approach the build-up.

Guardiola will be watching the action unfold via the TV (KO 2pm).

Lillo explained: "Pep is always there! The contact is continuous. Telephone, video call, everything.

“He is watching Sheffield United right now. What’s important is his health. That's what matters. That doesn't keep him from being who he is. He’s fully focused on the team and the match.

“What he is transmitting to all of us is that the surgery has been successful. His recovery has to take necessary time. He feels fine. I’m happy to see him recover correctly.

“Pep prefers to speak face to face to the players so that would be me dealing with it. The form and content is his work. We’re not doing a video conference because he doesn't want that.

“He wants face to face and he’s in the messages that are going to be relayed.”

He added: "Pep has been doing his work and we’ll be talking about it. No problem. Whatever he says his input will be what happens."

Meanwhile, Bernardo Silva - who signed a new contract extension that will keep him at City until 2026 - is expected to be fit having missed the last two games.

"Perhaps it's a question more for the doctor but he has trained fully normal. I don’t think he's ill at all and is good to go," added Lillo.

Ahead of the game, Manchester City completed the £55.5million signing of Belgium winger Jeremy Doku from Rennes.

The 21-year-old has signed a five-year deal with the treble winners to become their third major signing of the summer transfer window.