The City boss, speaking at his Friday afternoon press conference, was asked whether Riyad Mahrez might make a return to the Club after Algeria were knocked out of the AFCON at the first hurdle.
But our current top scorer won’t feature against the Saints after being afforded a rest period.
“Now he has a holiday for a week,” said Pep.
“After the AFCON, he has permission for one week off and will come back with the team next week.”
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Guardiola was also asked for a fitness update on Nathan Ake and Oleksandr Zinchenko.
Ake has already played 14 times this season - more than the entire 2020/21 campaign - and has been in excellent form.
Zinchenko, who has played a dozen times this season, hasn’t been available since the Boxing Day win over Leicester City.
It was mixed news on the defensive pair’s progress.
“Nathan is ready, Zinchenko, no,” he said.
Additionally, the boss also confirmed the players will have several days’ rest after the Southampton game.
There was the possibility of a squad trip to Abu Dhabi for a warm-weather break, but due to potential COVID risks, the team will not travel overseas together.
“We spoke with the club and it’s not safe to go all together (to Abu Dhabi) with the virus,” affirmed Pep.
“Instead, we decided everyone to go for themselves with family and friends.”
How to follow Southampton v City on the Man City app
Manchester City travel St Mary’s on Saturday to face Southampton in the Premier League.
The game kicks off at 17:30 (UK) and we will have full coverage on the official Man City app, which provides everything you need in one place so you can stay close to the action.
Minute-by-minute text updates get under way in our Matchday Centre at 15:30 (UK), whilst our Matchday Live show starts one hour before kick-off.
Presenter Natalie Pike will be joined in the studio by Paul Dickov and Nedum Onuoha, who will be providing the usual mix of analysis and entertainment before the game begins.
Our guests will also be answering fans’ questions throughout the show and you can get involved by sending a WhatsApp to +447537186538.
They’ll reconvene at half-time and to share their thoughts on the opening 45-minutes and again after the full-time whistle for an in-depth debrief, which will include reaction from Pep Guardiola and a player.
During the game, you can enjoy live audio commentary in the Matchday Centre, as Alistair Mann and Shaun Goater guide you through the 90-minutes.
And, once the final whistle sounds, the app is the best place to relive all the action.
Highlights of the game will be made available for free at 19:15 and CITY+ subscribers can watch a full 90-minute replay of the game at midnight.
The best way to follow Manchester City is by downloading the official app!
Download on your mobile phone or tablet via the Apple’s App Store or Google Play Store, or, if you already have the app, then simply visit the stores and update.
Don’t forget to turn push notifications on, that way you’ll get reminders of everything as the day unfolds.
