Pep Guardiola to sit out of Man City's FA Cup clash against Swindon Town after positive COVID test

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola will miss Friday`s FA Cup third-round match away to fourth-tier Swindon Town after testing positive for COVID-19, the Premier League club said on Thursday. City said that Guardiola returned a positive test on Tuesday along with assistant Juanma Lillo.

"Both are now isolating, along with a number of other positive cases within the City first team bubble," City said in a statement, adding that assistant coach Rodolfo Borrell will take charge of the team for Friday`s game. Seven first-team players and 14 backroom staff are isolating for COVID-19 related reasons, the club said. City are top of the Premier League table on 53 points after 21 matches, 10 points above second-placed Chelsea, whom they host in a league match on Jan. 15 after facing Swindon.

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Earlier on Thursday, Burnley said that manager Sean Dyche will miss their FA Cup third-round tie at home to second-tier Huddersfield Town on Saturday after testing positive for COVID-19. Guardiola and Dyche are the latest Premier League managers to test positive in recent weeks after Aston Villa`s Steven Gerrard, Newcastle United`s Eddie Howe, Crystal Palace`s Patrick Vieira, Arsenal`s Mikel Arteta and Liverpool`s Juergen Klopp.

Britain on Wednesday reported 194,747 further cases of COVID-19 and 334 more deaths within 28 days of a positive test, according to official data.