City get ready to face unfamiliar style of Fluminense, says Guardiola

In their quest to capture their first Club World Cup title, Manchester City have been studying footage of Brazilian opponent Fluminense as they are unfamiliar with their style of play, manager Pep Guardiola said.

Adding to the stiff challenge, City will be without Premier League-leading striker Erling Haaland, who travelled to Saudi Arabia despite having missed City's past four games with a nagging foot injury.

Haaland was sidelined for City's 3-0 semi-final win over Japan's Urawa Red Diamonds on Tuesday, and his absence means he is ineligible to play in the rest of the competition even if he was fit to play.

"We try in the hours after (our last) game to see Fluminense as much as possible, looking at the quality they have," Guardiola told reporters on Thursday in Jeddah.

"They have five, six or seven players more than 30-years-old so that means they can control their emotions perfectly.

"They play a typical Brazilian style from the 1970s, '80s and '90s. Lots of short passes, combining really good, but also physically demanding. We have to be aware how much they run behind the ball, and be resilient in (handling) that.

"The way they play demands a lot of effort (from us). The way they play we have never faced before. They move a lot from side to side, so we have to impose our own rhythm and possession game as much as possible."

City have struggled lately, winning only one of their last six Premier League games to drop to fourth in the table, yet are considered the favourites to hoist what would be their fifth trophy over the past year on Friday.

Guardiola said a key to victory will be keeping a tight rein on their emotions.

"How do you play a Club World Cup final without emotion?" Guardiola said. "Emotion is there, it's how you