Pep Guardiola has admitted that time is running out for Manchester City‘s crocks.
The four-in-a-row champions have seen their Premier League and Champions League dreams wrecked by an injury crisis that has gripped the club from the moment Ballon d’Or winner Rodri suffered a cruciate knee tear in September that ruled him out for the season.
And while the Spaniard is sure to be key to the future that Guardiola has already started building in east Manchester, the City boss admitted that the writing is on the wall for the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Jack Grealish, John Stones, Nathan Ake, Manuel Akanji and keeper Ederson after spending so much time on the sidelines.
Stones’ latest comeback was ended by a thigh muscle problem suffered in the Champions League humbling at Real Madrid on Wednesday night and if medics confirm fears he will need an operation then the England defender is likely to be ruled out for the rest of the campaign.
And after spending £170million on new players last month, Guardiola said: “We have to look at the reality.
“We have to sit down with the doctors, physios, the players, agents and be clear that some of them cannot play every month or two months playing every three days.
“This is the reality. There is one more year and then the World Cup. Already we have a lot of players who cannot sustain that like they have in the past, playing in different competitions and travelling without any problems.
“Always we compete in the Champions League until the latter stages. We arrive in the quarter-finals and the semi-finals most of the time. The reality is for the future, if we want to be there again, is that we need players fit and available.
“It’s so, so demanding because teams are quicker, faster, stronger – and we cannot handle it right now.”
City are also looking to shift 30-somethings like Bernardo Silva, Ilkay Gundogan and Mateo Kovacic after allowing captain Kyle Walker to join AC Milan in January as Guardiola implements a rebuild.
Erling Haaland is another new casualty, with the two-time Golden Boot winner facing a fitness test on Saturday to determine whether he can face table-topping Liverpool at the Etihad after missing the defeat in Madrid with a knee injury.
De Bruyne is set to return against the Merseysiders after being left on the bench in the Bernabeu. But the Belgian has struggled with muscle problems in recent years – and Guardiola’s assessment of the 33-year-old suggested his decade of service will come to an end when his contract expires in the summer.
Guardiola said: “The relationship with Kevin De Bruyne is exceptional. I can’t be thankful enough for what he has done for me, the team, everyone. It was just a decision I made on what I have seen. He played against Madrid at home, so of course he can play.
“More than 50 games is too much for the players, in the season. It’s too much for the human being, for the body, cannot sustain.”
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