Manchester City might be facing a crisis ahead of their clash with Bournemouth, with as many as ten first-team players potentially sidelined. But don’t expect any sympathy from Pep Guardiola – he’s pushing his team to power through the pain if they want to stay in contention for titles.
Despite key injuries, including Kevin De Bruyne’s ongoing recovery, Guardiola has made it clear that he expects his squad to be battle-ready. “The players coming back, some of them who were out, today trained good,” Guardiola revealed, hinting at the possibility of having some injured players on the bench at Bournemouth. De Bruyne, too, has shown promising signs, with Guardiola noting, “The doctor said he made a step forward in terms of pain.”
After their recent loss to Tottenham, Guardiola admitted he had only 13 fit players to select from and announced he’ll be relying on academy talent to fill in the gaps. However, the City manager was unambiguous about his high expectations, emphasizing that top players must play through discomfort if they want to be part of his squad.
“They are used to playing with some pain,” Guardiola stated. “Today, almost all of the players play with pain. Rafa Nadal played his career with pain and won countless Grand Slams. You have to deal with it in modern football, or you can’t sustain games every three days at a top club.”
He also praised his players’ resilience, adding, “We have an incredible group with a strong mentality. This week is so important before the international break – the away games and in the Champions League.”
Guardiola is adamant that City doesn’t need sympathy, even in the midst of this injury “emergency.” He pointed out that City has maintained similar training routines this season, if not lighter, and stressed that injuries are part of the game. Referring to Liverpool’s past injury struggles, he said, “Is what it is, we have to adapt and focus tomorrow.”
And despite the current shortage of players, Guardiola dismissed the idea of entering the January transfer market to bolster the squad, confident that City’s roster will be complete when everyone returns. “Maybe in January we’ll have all players fit except Rodri,” he said. “When we’re all together, the squad is enough. It’s top.”
For Guardiola, it’s all about resilience, adaptability, and a no-excuses mentality – a challenge that could just define City’s season.
