Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola appeared in a press conference to discuss the upcoming match against Brentford on Sunday in the seventh round of the Premier League.

The coach began: "Nico Gonzalez is still young. We haven't worked together for seven or eight years; he hasn't even completed a year with us during a difficult period, and there are many things he will absorb step by step because he is open-minded and very teachable, which is not the case for all players. He will develop over time; even Rodri struggled when he started in his first season, and that is normal. But Nico is Nico; he has to be himself. Rodri himself said he had difficulty understanding at first."

Regarding Rodri's readiness: "Rodri will be ready for the World Cup, and next year we will see the best version of him."

On Rodri and his substitution: "We cannot play with only 12 players, that's for sure. I know what you are saying, and I know that Rodri cannot be replaced in many ways, but he wasn't able to play three days ago because his knee was in very bad shape. At that moment, during the 30 minutes that Nico Gonzalez played against Monaco, he was the player who recovered the most balls in transitions. In the first half, when Rodri was playing, we allowed them to have more possession in transitions."

He added: "I would love to say we conceded the goal because Rodri wasn't on the pitch, but I can't prove that. Maybe I feel that way, but he wasn't on the pitch; Rodri cannot play 90 minutes in every match or in a lot of matches. Nico played well against Burnley. He is learning and developing, and Rodri cannot maintain the same pace all the time. I try to protect my players, and sometimes I want the best of them on the pitch and in good shape, but I have to protect them."

On Phil Foden: "Phil Foden is our best player in tight spaces in the final third, without a doubt. His timing for attacking and his desire to score goals make him our best in this aspect."

Regarding Foden's exclusion from the England squad: "Thomas (Tuchel) knows what the national team needs better than I do a thousand times and a million times and a trillion times. All I can say is that if Phil continues to play at this level, he will definitely return. Am I comfortable with his exclusion? I'm happy when players go to their national teams, but I'm happier when they return safely, that's for sure."

On the development of Jeremy Doku: "In the final third, in one-on-one situations and dribbling, he is fantastic. He is providing more assists than ever, but he is still young, and there are many things he needs to develop, whether in his understanding of the attacking or defensive side. I don't feel that just because he has shown some good moments (flashes of brilliance) he can help us. He has to do that with his talent, but he still has a lot to offer."

Regarding Erling Haaland's anger after the draw against Monaco: "We were all angry. We want to win, but we couldn't. We did a lot of good things, and there are other things we could have improved, which is normal in the process. Was he right to express his anger after the match? I love when players have that spirit, but I don't like expressing these things in public. I prefer to keep them between us, between me and my team and my players in closed rooms. They know I don't like sharing these matters here."

On Brentford's style under Keith Andrews: "It's very similar to what they were under Thomas Frank. They perform very well, and playing at Brentford's ground is always difficult. At the same time, we are looking forward to the last match before the international break, and we will do what we need to do."

He emphasized: "What makes me happiest is that we have improved. I love that feeling. I also feel we can be better, and that feeling is what I love as a coach; we feel we are creating the rhythm and speed again, and everything has become smoother and more stable. But we can offer better, and I love that."

He concluded about the club's spending on signing Nico Gonzalez: "Thank you for this question about Manchester City's spending a lot of money. That's good; it's okay."