Guardiola to sit out FA Cup match 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.

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.