Manchester City assistant coach Rodolfo Borrell revealed that Pep Guardiola would be constantly in contact during Friday night's FA Cup third round tie away to Swindon Town.
Guardiola was unable to attend the game because of Covid, but the City manager had a direct line of communication to his coaching staff.
Borrell told ITV Sport: 'We've been in touch in terms of preparations of the game. He will keep in touch with us. He told us he believes a lot in all of us. He will be permanently in touch.'
City, who were also without another member of their coaching staff in Juanma Lillo, named a strong side for the fixture and Borrell stressed that the club are taking all competitions seriously.
He said: 'We have prepared to play the game. We have a strong squad. We are taking all the competitions seriously.
'Any game in the FA Cup is a really tough game, especially when you play away. The atmosphere is going to be unbelievable and we expect a very tough game. We have to be ready and up for the challenge.'
Despite being without players including Phil Foden and John Stones, City named a side that included many of their regulars.
The likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Joao Cancelo and Ruben Dias all started for City against the League Two side.
Pundit Ashley Cole stated that playing against such talented players represented a superb experience for Swindon.
Cole said: 'This is what this competition represents. Manchester City have put out ten, eleven international players. This is what it means to the club. It's important the fans get the opportunity to see these top players.'
City have won the FA Cup on six occasions, with the most recent of those triumphs coming under Guardiola in 2019, when they beat Watford 6-0 in the final.