With five days to go before the Selhurst Park clash, the City boss is hoping some of the players who missed the midweek game with Sporting Lisbon could be fit to face Patrick Vieira’s men.
Kyle Walker was suspended for Sporting as he served the second of a three-game Champions League ban, but Joao Cancelo was ill and Nathan Ake and Ruben Dias were both absent with injury.
Dias has been ruled out for several weeks with a hamstring injury and will definitely be out for Monday’s game.
“Like you say it is still a few days before Monday night’s game,” said Guardiola when asked for an injury update.
“We have a little bit of a problem because we don’t have many players available.
“Hopefully some come back at the end of the week. Today we trained, the guys celebrated qualifying for the quarter-finals.
“Tomorrow is rest and then we prepare for the game in London.
“Seeing the run Crystal Palace are on right now, one loss in last eight games, the quality they have, especially up front with Zaha, when they defend deep they are difficult to break down.
“Selhurst Park is always a difficult place to go. It’s a final for us and we know it. Hopefully we can prepare well to face a good opponent.
City have only 10 Premier League games remaining and currently lead the table by six points, though Liverpool have played a game less.
The boss is under no illusions that the matches still to be played are all going to be cup finals in their own right.
“Always, when we get to the last 10 games of the Premier League, every game is a final,” he said.
“When you play 55 games, it is not a final - but with 10 games left every game is a final.
“The team we faced (earlier in the season) was really good.
“It’s always difficult for us against Palace, especially at home but away, too. Always difficult.
“They had the intention to play, the intention to press high. Like with Roy Hodgson before, they defend in the box massively well.
“The last eight games they are doing really well. Patrick knows the Premier League perfectly.
“He was one of the best midfielders of all time in this league. He knows the stadium, the media, the smell of competition in the Premier League.
“It is a good advantage and I am happy it is going well.”
