Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has revealed whether 2025 summer signing Sverre Nypan could play in Saturday’s FA Cup fourth round against Salford City.
Nypan was recalled by bosses at the Etihad Stadium midway through a season-long loan at Middlesbrough as City challenge for silverware on four fronts in the second half of the season.
The 19-year-old joined Manchester City from Rosenborg BK last summer for a record £12.5 million export out of Norway, with director of football Hugo Viana making wholesale changes to Guardiola’s squad in the backdrop of a disappointing 2024-25 season.
City made a poor start to 2026 by throwing away leads against Chelsea, Brighton and Tottenham to lose ground in the title race against Arsenal but the tide has begun to turn at the Etihad Stadium in recent weeks.
Guardiola’s side have avoided defeat in their last six games in all competitions and after coming from behind to seal a thrilling late win at Anfield last weekend, it seems as if Manchester City have not thrown in the towel just yet.
The Blues have cut Arsenal’s lead at the top of the Premier League to four points after winning against Fulham in midweek and seeing the Gunners stumble on the road at Brentford, with City switching their focus to an FA Cup fourth round clash with Salford City this weekend.
On whether Sverre Nypan is in contention against Salford, Guardiola said: “We will decide today,” the Manchester City manager said in a press conference on Friday afternoon.
“I have to think about it. I don’t want to disconnect the team. I learned in time when you play this type of competition, the Premier League or the Carabao Cup, when you make a lot of things (changes) or you pretend, ‘Ah this competition is not important’ or whatever against League Two (teams), I don’t like that. I want everybody to still focus, focus and focus.”
Guardiola was further probed on whether January loans for Divine Mukasa and Stephen Mfuni represents a change of approach for young players navigating the early years of their respective careers. “No, they can learn to compete better than compete here with the second team without competition (for places),” Guardiola added.
“So that is the only reason. I would like to have Divine (Mukasa) here and Stephen (Mfuni) of course, but it is good for them to grow up.
“And the other players that were loaned I would like to have, and sometimes cannot because they have a, you know – when you have Riyad (Mahrez) in front of (you), or Bernardo (Silva), or Raheem (Sterling), Leroy (Sane), or the other ones, sometimes and everybody fit, sometimes it is a question of space.
“But I would love to have players stay here with me or with us, than stay to be sold or be loaned.”
City have all to play for in the coming months and Guardiola will be keen to welcome back the likes of Savinho, Jeremy Doku, Josko Gvardiol and Mateo Kovacic in the run-in.