BREAKING: Pep Guardiola confirms two Man City’s best players will miss the big match against Liverpool on Sunday.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has delivered a double blow to the club’s supporters ahead of their crucial Premier League clash against Liverpool this weekend. In a press conference held earlier today, Guardiola confirmed that both Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne will be absent for the match due to injury.

Haaland’s absence comes as no surprise to those who watched City’s 3-1 defeat to Real Madrid in the Champions League. The Norwegian striker was a notable omission from the starting lineup and remained an unused substitute throughout the match. Guardiola revealed that Haaland had sustained an injury in the closing stages of City’s win over Newcastle United at the weekend.

“Erling tried to train yesterday after the action against Newcastle,” Guardiola explained. “But he has discomfort walking, for example with stairs. We spoke yesterday and this morning, and he said he’s not ready, he doesn’t feel good. He’s not far off, but not enough to play against Liverpool.”

The news of De Bruyne’s absence, however, comes as a major shock. The Belgian playmaker has been in scintillating form this season and is widely regarded as one of the best midfielders in the world. Guardiola revealed that De Bruyne picked up a hamstring injury in training and is expected to be sidelined for several weeks.

“Kevin felt something in his hamstring in training yesterday,” Guardiola said. “We did some scans, and it’s not good. He will be out for a few weeks, for sure. It’s a big blow for us, but we have to cope.”

The absence of Haaland and De Bruyne is a significant setback for Manchester City, who are already trailing league leaders Arsenal by five points. Liverpool, meanwhile, will be looking to capitalize on City’s misfortune and close the gap on their rivals.

Guardiola, however, remains defiant and insists that his team can still overcome Liverpool without their two star players. “Of course, Erling and Kevin are massively important for us,” he said. “But we have a strong squad, and we have to believe in ourselves. We can still win this game.”

The match against Liverpool is a must-win for Manchester City if they want to keep their title hopes alive. It remains to be seen how they will cope without Haaland and De Bruyne, but one thing is for sure: it will be a fascinating encounter between two of the best teams in the Premier League.