Pep Guardiola says Sergio Aguero and Kevin De Bruyne ‘s minutes need to be carefully managed if the pair are to maintain their top form.
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The dynamic duo featured in Saturday’s Boxing Day victory over Newcastle, as City ran out 2-0 winners, thanks to goals from Ilkay Gundogan and Ferran Torres.
De Bruyne, who rested in Arsenal’s Carabao Cup semi-final success, captained the side to victory, while Aguero followed back from being injured by a cameo display from the bench.
Guardiola was delighted with what the two players put in but – taking a look at Monday ‘s trip to Everton, which takes place 48 hours after Newcastle’ s win – he lifted the pressure to relax and get over it.
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Asked for an update on the health of his squad, with Kyle Walker and Gabriel Jesus absent after a positive test for COVID-19, he replied: “The rest is fine.
“We will test again – all of us – and hopefully, on the day of the game against Everton, we can be ready.
We thought about starting with Sergio (against Newcastle). We need it, I need it.
“(On Saturday) I had good news in general: the fact that he played for 15, 20 minutes and we saw him sharp, dynamic and good.
“It’s great news for us – we need it. Absolutely. We look forward to the return but at the same time we need to be careful.
“It simply came to our notice then. I want to handle the minutes.
“(Against Newcastle) I saw him do well, especially in his mind. I love this one! He’s an amazing guy and we need him.
“With that being said, Ferran Torres did an amazing job. We cannot forget that he is a sleeper, playing in an unusual position.
“He’s a great player doing different tasks. It’s not normal to play this position but it helps a lot with his moves and running behind him. ”
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On De Bruyne, Guardiola said: “We need it. Kevin is one of the biggest stars in the world right now.
“He’s a great player and I know how important he is to us. At times, as in the game against Arsenal, he didn’t travel.
“I wish it was appropriate for the Premier League, especially now that the Champions League is over, and there is a focus on the Premier League.
“Other competitions are important but we don’t want to be so far from the top of the Premier League.
“We have one game (on hand) against the surprise of the competition – Aston Villa are doing amazing.
“It will be a very difficult game against them but as we go on to play, we are going to find our rhythm and be close to the top of the league.
“We’re hoping to get to the last eight or 10 games to fight the teams above us.”
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