• Forward ‘out for a while’ after challenge by Cardiff’s Joe Bennett • ‘The players are the artists and you have to take care of them’

Pep Guardiola reported that Leroy Sané would be out for a few weeks at least, as he complained about Cardiff City’s overly physical approach in this FA Cup tie on Sunday. Guardiola’s Manchester City won 2-0 to advance into the fifth round and keep alive their hopes of an unprecedented quadruple. But the victory came at a cost.

Manchester City sweep Cardiff aside and cruise into fifth round Read more

Sané failed to reappear for the second half after being caught on the ankle by a dreadful tackle from the Cardiff full-back, Joe Bennett, in first‑half stoppage-time while Guardiola was unhappy at other challenges. He marched on to the field at full-time to argue with the referee, Lee Mason, who also disallowed a first-half goal from Bernardo Silva. Mason pulled it back for offside against Sané, who he felt was interfering with play, but TV replays showed he was onside.

“Sané will be out for a while – minimum two or three weeks, one month. We will see what exactly tomorrow. It’s his ankle. I have said many times – the only thing they [the officials] have to do is protect the players. I can accept the disallowed goal. I don’t know why it was disallowed but I will accept it.

Quick guide FA Cup fifth-round draw guide Show Hide FA Cup fifth-round draw guide The last-16 pairings will be drawn on Monday night's The One Show on BBC One. The programme starts at 7pm but expect the draw to be made at about 7.20pm. Ruud Gullit, who managed Chelsea to their 1997 FA Cup triumph, shares draw duties with Robbie Savage, who played in the Cup for Leicester City and Blackburn Rovers. Newport (9th in League Two), Coventry (7th) and Notts County (2nd) are the lowest-ranked teams left. The numbers to look out for 1 West Bromwich Albion, 2 Leicester, 3 Huddersfield or Birmingham, 4 Notts County or Swansea, 5 Manchester United, 6 Sheffield Wednesday, 7 Cardiff or Manchester City, 8 Coventry City, 9 Millwall or Rochdale, 10 Southampton, 11 Brighton, 12 Wigan, 13 Hull, 14 Newport or Tottenham, 15 Chelsea, 16 Sheffield United

The fifth-round ties will take place on the weekend of 17-18 February. Photograph: Anthony Devlin/PA

“But please protect the players. Not the Manchester City players, [all] the players. The only thing they can do is that: protect the players. Or it will happen again. The players are the artists and you have to take care of them. That’s why you are here and why I’m here. For them, the players.

“Did I fear serious injuries? Of course. Every team can play how they want. If they decide to play in that way, perfect. But there is one man, in black, and he has to decide what is correct and incorrect. When you say: ‘Why don’t you win the four titles?’ I need the players to win the four titles.”

The Cardiff manager, Neil Warnock, said: “City dished out a bit, as well. He [Guardiola] is in England. What do you expect? I suppose when you’re like that you want everything to be nice and pretty but you don’t get that in England. You get different challenges, don’t you?”