Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has pulled out of his Friday press conference because of a ‘personal matter’, the club has confirmed.
Assistant manager Kolo Toure stepped in to replace the Spaniard ahead of Manchester City’s clash with Crystal Palace on Sunday.
Toure revealed that his manager’s absence will not impact the Premier League match at Selhurst Park at the weekend, insisting he will ‘absolutely’ be there.
‘Pep is fine,’ the Ivorian revealed ‘It’s just a small matter [that meant] we didn’t bring him here. Apart from that, it’s fine and he’s back for sure. Absolutely, (he will be at Palace on Sunday).’
City, who head to Palace following a triumphant 2-1 win over Real Madrid in the Champions League on Wednesday, sit two points behind leaders Arsenal in the Premier League table.
Eagles boss Oliver Glasner has an excellent record over Guardiola, notably steering Palace to FA Cup final glory against Manchester City last summer.
Fellow assistant manager Pepijn Lijnders, who has more experience with the media than Toure, was also unavailable because of a scheduled day off.
The press conference marks Toure’s first public address to the media since being promoted to the first team at the Etihad last summer.
The former Manchester City and Arsenal defender, 44, began his coaching career as Brendan Rodgers’ assistant before carrying out a short, unsuccessful stint in charge of Wigan Athletic.
Toure returned to the Etihad as an assistant to U18s manager Oli Reiss in 2024, before being promoted last summer to help bridge the gap between Man City’s youth academy and senior squad.
Should the Gunners fail to beat rock-bottom Wolves on Saturday night, Manchester City can climb to the top of the table with a win over Palace at Selhurst Park.
