Pep Guardiola Faces Injury Crisis at Manchester City: “We’ve Never Seen Anything Like This”
In a candid assessment of his squad’s current woes, Pep Guardiola revealed that Manchester City is grappling with a mounting injury crisis that has left the team severely depleted. Following a disappointing defeat to Tottenham in the Carabao Cup, the situation has taken a turn for the worse, with the City boss admitting he can’t recall a time as challenging as this.
On Thursday, Guardiola lamented that the squad is down to just Erling Haaland and two goalkeepers in training, a stark contrast to their usual depth. “We are 13 players. We are in real difficulty,” he stated, highlighting the pressing challenges ahead. The injury list grew even longer as Manu Akanji suffered a meniscus issue during warm-ups, and Savinho sustained a painful knock to his foot. The team is anxiously awaiting scan results that will determine whether Savinho’s injury is serious.
Adding to the disarray, Guardiola noted that key players like Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol finished the match carrying concerns, while Rico Lewis was described as “exceptionally tired.” In a further blow, he confirmed that the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Jack Grealish, and Kyle Walker are not expected to make a return before the international break.
“When you have this situation, it’s tough. Tomorrow, we will have two goalkeepers and Erling Haaland for a training session; we don’t have anything else,” Guardiola said.
Despite the adversity, Guardiola remains optimistic about the resilience of his players. “I think when we are in trouble like we are—because in nine years, I have never had this many injuries for this many reasons—the players step up. They come together more than ever, and we will try to recover quickly this week.”
The City manager also provided updates on the injured players. Regarding Savinho, he said, “He had a knock in the 18-yard box during a potential penalty situation. Hopefully, it’s nothing dangerous.” As for Akanji, he expressed concern over the muscular issue: “He felt something in the meniscus and didn’t feel good during warm-ups. He said he could take a risk, but I said no.”
With the stakes higher than ever, Guardiola’s focus now shifts to rallying his squad amid these unprecedented challenges. “It’s getting more difficult game by game, but maybe one day we will be all together,” he concluded, emphasizing his hope for a swift return to full strength.
