Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has stated that he feels no need to speak with goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma regarding the yellow cards the player has accumulated. The Italian international is currently one yellow card away from a ban after receiving his fourth caution of the Premier League season in City's recent 3-2 victory over Leeds United.
Of the four yellow cards Donnarumma has received in his short time at City, three have been for dissent. Despite this, Guardiola believes the 26-year-old summer signing from Paris Saint-Germain is mature enough to manage the situation himself. "No, he is adult enough," Guardiola said. "He will, step by step, understand things in the league and (learn) new behaviours".
Donnarumma's discipline was also a topic of discussion after the Leeds game, with their manager, Daniel Farke, accusing him of feigning injury to allow Guardiola to deliver a crucial team talk. The game saw Leeds fight back from 2-0 down to level the score, before Phil Foden's late goal secured the win for City.
Guardiola appeared unwilling to dwell on the Donnarumma situation during a press conference on Monday ahead of Tuesday's game against Fulham. He mentioned having "a lot" of concerns but didn't elaborate further on the goalkeeper. The press conference was notably brief, lasting just over two minutes for broadcast reporters.
Instead, Guardiola focused on expressing his hope that academy graduate Phil Foden would commit his long-term future to the club, with his contract expiring in 2027. "Hopefully he can stay all his career here," Guardiola commented. "He is a special player, a Man City fan, from the academy". Foden himself stated after the Leeds game that he now sees himself as one of the team's leaders.
Notably, if Donnarumma receives another yellow card in City's next six games, he will become the first goalkeeper in Premier League history to receive a one-match ban for accumulating five bookings so quickly. While several goalkeepers have received five or more cautions in a Premier League season, none have done so within the first 19 league matches.
Donnarumma has played in 10 Premier League matches in the 2025/2026 season, receiving 4 yellow cards and 0 red cards. He averages 0.00 fouls per 90 minutes.
