Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has confirmed that Kevin De Bruyne and Aymeric Laporte will miss Wednesday's Champions League last-16 first-leg tie with RB Leipzig due to illness.
De Bruyne and Laporte both started for the Citizens in the 1-1 draw away against Nottingham Forest in the Premier League last weekend.
However, both players were absent from first-team training on Tuesday and have been left out of City's 22-man travelling squad to Germany.
John Stones has also not been included in Guardiola's squad as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury.
Man City have since made the trip to Germany and shortly after landing in Leipzig, Guardiola faced the media to provide an update on his squad ahead of Wednesday's first leg.
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Speaking about De Bruyne and Laporte at a press conference, Guardiola said: "Kevin and Laporte [are missing through] illness. They are not ready for tomorrow. It is what it is. During the season, unfortunately sometimes that happens.
"He (De Bruyne) didn't feel good right after the game against [Forest]. Yesterday Aymer didn't feel well. Other players are going to play. That happens sometimes."
Man City are familiar with their next opponents Leipzig after locking horns with the Bundesliga side during last season's Champions League group-stage campaign.
The Citizens came out on top in a nine-goal thriller at the Etihad Stadium in September 2021, beating Leipzig 6-3 with Christopher Nkunku scoring a memorable hat-trick for the visitors.
Die Roten Bullen got their revenge just three months later, though – albeit in a dead-rubber fixture – by securing a 2-1 win on home soil.
Guardiola has heaped praise on Leipzig ahead of Wednesday's clash and has talked up a few of their strengths that his City side must be wary about over the two-legged tie.
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"Right after the draw I knew it, I felt it would be a really tough opponent," said the Spaniard. "We know the quality of them for many years.
"A culture for young players, recruitment, clear patterns of play, a lot of play in the middle, physicality in German football in the transition they are unstoppable. Many respects for this club and what they've done.
"Last year with [former boss] Jesse Marsch and [Christopher] Nkunku we struggled. Here we lost – okay we had qualified – but we struggled.
"Every season they've qualified for the Champions League I know the quality and it will be a tough, tough two games.
"[We must] try to make a good performance, control our emotions and get a good result for the second leg in Manchester."
Man City head into Wednesday's encounter after winning only one of their last five away matches, while Marco Rose's Leipzig side saw their 11-game unbeaten run at the Red Bull Arena come to an end at the hands of Union Berlin, losing 2-1 in their most recent Bundesliga home game on February 11.
Oliver Thomas
