Manchester, Aug 9 : Pep Guardiola says he hopes that Phil Foden will be in contention for the start of the Premier League season but wants to be careful with the return of Rodri.

Both players stayed behind in Manchester as City travelled to Palermo for Saturday's Anglo Palermitan Trophy.

Rodri missed the majority of last season after suffering a knee injury ' returning to feature in the final two games of the campaign before heading to the FIFA Club World Cup.

Speaking ahead of the game in Sicily on Saturday, Guardiola gave an update on the players.

'Phil was doing really good but he had a problem with a knock on his ankle that's why as a precaution we did it.

'Rodri's getting better but he had a big injury in the last game against Al-Hilal and for the last five or six weeks. He's training right now and in the last two or three days is better. Hopefully maybe the international break is when he will be really really fit.

'Hopefully, in the games he can play some minutes. But the important thing is to not have pain because we don't want him to be come back and injured, come back and injured.

We will try desperately to avoid that but he's training the last two or three days with us and that's good,' said Guardiola.

Asked if they would be available for City's Premier League opener at Wolves on Saturday, August 16, Guardiola added: '90 minutes for Rodri I don't think so.

'Phil, hopefully, it depends on the problem but it's a long week so hopefully.'

Midfielder Mateo Kovacic missed the tournament in the United States after having surgery on an Achilles injury.

The Croatian is not part of the travelling squad and Guardiola is hoping to have him back in contention as soon as possible.

With Rodri's return being carefully managed, Nico is among the candidates to take on the defensive midfield role, along with Ilkay Gundogan and Tijjani Reijnders.

'We have three [midfielders] I would say with Kova injured until September or October - hopefully earlier,' the boss added.

'Rodri was out for six months and Nico. The other ones can play there but they are attacking midfielders, more that can play in the box.

'Gundo can play there, Tijji can play there but I think that when everybody is fit, they have the opportunity to play more up front because we have Phil and Cherki, we have a lot.

'That is good this season, I saw the schedule in my office and I said after September its every three days, every three days so at the end we will need players.'

/IANS