Manchester City assistant coach Pep Lijnders has expressed the club’s support for defender Rúben Dias, who experienced a burglary at his home this week, where he resides with TV presenter Maya Jama.
Neither Dias nor Jama was at the property during the incident; Dias was watching City’s Champions League match against Galatasaray on Wednesday, while Jama was working overseas.
Lijnders commented, “I haven’t spoken to him directly, but Rúben is set to return for team training on Monday. Such incidents are unfortunate, and we will support him through this.”
Lijnders spoke to the media as Pep Guardiola was absent from City’s press conference for personal reasons following his recent attendance at a charity event in Barcelona, supporting Palestinian children.
Guardiola was scheduled to preview Sunday’s upcoming Premier League match against Tottenham Hotspur, but Lijnders filled in for him. Although details regarding Guardiola’s absence weren’t disclosed, he is expected to return to the UK on Friday to supervise training on Saturday.
This is not the first time Guardiola has missed a press conference due to personal matters; he was absent last month, with his assistant Kolo Toure stepping in then as well. Lijnders, who previously served as an assistant to Jürgen Klopp at Liverpool, has handled media duties on Guardiola’s behalf before after City’s FA Cup win over Exeter on January 10, during which Guardiola was in the stands serving a touchline ban.
Injury concerns also arose for the City squad, as winger Jérémy Doku is now sidelined following a calf injury sustained during the 2-0 victory over Galatasaray, a match that secured City’s place in the Champions League last 16.
Lijnders remarked, “It’s a similar injury to the last one, which took 18 days to heal. I expect this one to be a bit shorter, but we will reassess. Jeremy is quite a durable player.”
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Last weekend, City narrowed Arsenal’s lead at the top of the Premier League to four points, and Lijnders is optimistic about continuing to apply pressure to the Gunners.
“Having participated in several title races, I can affirm that it’s crucial to focus on the immediate match,” Lijnders said. “Winning your games and controlling your own trajectory is vital. You must push, chase, and ensure they feel our presence, and that’s achievable only by winning matches.”