Manchester City face Man United in the FA Cup final having beaten their rivals in last season’s final, but the Blues squad are expecting a difficult game.
Bernardo Silva expects a strong Manchester United side to arrive at Wembley on Saturday for the FA Cup final despite their injury problems of late.
Manchester City are looking for a second successive FA Cup crown, which would seal back-to-back league and cup doubles to become the first side to achieve that feat in English football history. In their way is rivals United, who are looking for a trophy to take a positive from a hugely forgettable season.
United have had a number of injury issues this season, and will be without two long-term absentees, as well as centre-back Harry Maguire. Erik ten Hag said this week that Mason Mount, Anthony Martial and Victor Lindelof are back in training and could feature.
Those injury problems haven’t gone unnoticed at City, but Bernardo is preparing for ‘most’ United players to be back to face them at Wembley. “[It will be] a big challenge. They have been struggling with injuries in the last few weeks. I don’t know how fit some of them will be, but I expect most of them to be back.
“It is a derby and a derby is always a tough game. It is going to be a very competitive game for both sides and we expect a very difficult match. It is a final of the FA Cup against your biggest rivals in the same city. I think it is very emotional for the fans and we get that. We try to prepare as best as possible to try and give them what they deserve which is another title and the win.”
Teammate Rodri agreed with Bernardo that City will take United seriously, adding: “We know they are struggling a little bit in the table but in the final third they are dangerous. We are going to expect the best version of Man United and I think we will need our best version to beat them.”
With another record on offer, Bernardo admitted that the chance to write their name in the history books has been a key motivating factor within the City squad this season – fresh from becoming the first team to win four league titles on the bounce.
“It is motivation to try and do something that has never been done before. We have it in front of us and we are going to try and prepare the game as well as possible and try to be very competitive because we want this FA Cup,” he said. “These targets always help but I think it is just the feeling that we have. We are a group of players and leaders that are so competitive.
“Even in training if we are against each other we are so competitive. The feeling of winning is so much better than the feeling of losing and we love winning. If we are here every day working, then why not try and do it again and again as a team. That is what we try to do every season.
“We have won two titles by one point against Liverpool and two points against Arsenal this season. It is so tough in this competition [Premier League], but we have been lucky enough to be able to win six in the last seven years which is an unbelievable achievement.”
