Jose’s five-point preview - City

An exclusive sit down with Jose Mourinho ahead of our Premier League encounter against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday (5.30pm).

1 - Team news

Not too much change on the injury front...

Jose: “Serge Aurier, maybe he can play, I don’t know. We still have one more training session to see. Sergio Reguilon, no chance. Gio Lo Celso, no chance. I would say Reguilon has a chance to play Europa League next week.” On Gareth Bale, Jose later added: “We have a training session in the afternoon to see if he feels ready or not.”

2 - Latest on Harry

Jose was asked in his press conference if Harry Kane would be ready to start against City after playing 60 minutes off the bench against Everton on Wednesday night...

Jose: "I believe so. Of course he played 60 minutes or so, which he didn't want, and I didn't want too, but it was a game that pushed us in that direction, but no negative feelings after the game, just the normal stiffness, but I believe so. I believe he can start."

3 - Case of the blues

We lost an FA Cup thriller 5-4 at Everton on Wednesday night. What did Jose say to the players on Thursday? Did they need picking up?

Jose: “We did amazing things, we also made mistakes. What do you say? You try to focus on the positivity of the good things, but, of course, you have to analyse the mistakes you make, that’s part of the job, you have to do it. You finish the game, and you think immediately about the next one. That’s what I always did and that’s what I always do, no matter the result. I normally arrive on the bus after the game and I’m immediately thinking about the next one, and that’s what we need to do.”

4 - Lamela/Lucas

What has Jose made of the performances of Erik Lamela and Lucas in our last two fixtures?

Jose: “I have a lot of respect for them, because they didn’t play many matches, they were on the bench, but always working very hard, not moaning, not disturbing, always team players. When I brought them into the game against Chelsea, I was even listening to them motivating each other, ‘let’s go for the last 25 minutes to help the team’ and that’s what a team needs, people like this. Then, of course, they justified to play against West Brom, then justified to play against Everton and only if their condition is not good enough are they not playing in the next one.”

5 - City

We beat City in February last year, then November, both at home. How do we translate those performances to the Etihad on Saturday?

Jose: “It looks a very simple answer, but it is the way it is. You need to play very, very well. And if you play very well offensively, maybe you score a couple of goals, but if you don’t play well defensively, maybe you concede three or four. And vice-versa. If you play very well defensively, maybe you even concede a goal, but if you play defensively you are not going to have a chance of scoring goals. So, you have to play perfectly, and the perfect team in the perfect match is that, a team able to defend very well and not make mistakes and a team capable of playing with the confidence to go, to attack, to create chances and try to score goals. It looks very simple, but it’s quite complicated. You have to play a perfect match.”