Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has claimed his side’s problems will not be solved with victory over Liverpool on Sunday and that only the return of key players from injury can ensure they compete for trophies this season.
The Catalan technical effusive has been scarred physically and mentally for a damaging six game winless streak. After five successive defeats, City conceded 3-0 to draw at home to Feyenoord in the Champions League on Tuesday night.
City are eight points ahead of Premier League leaders Liverpool, a gap that could widen with another defeat on Merseyside this weekend. No crowd at Anfield has seen Manchester City beat Liverpool since 2003, when Nicolas Anelka scored a brace for the visitors.
In an interview with wild eyes Sky Sports ahead of his side’s trip down the M62, Guardiola warned that a win would not solve the club’s problems. “We’ll be back when all the players are back,” the coach shrugged. “We’re not going to win at Anfield again. Until these players come back, we’re not going to come back. I’m sorry to say that.
“I would love to say we will win at Anfield and then 20 games. But in the situation we are in, we will not come back. The only chance of coming back is if John Stones comes back, he is injured and it will be a long time, if Rubén Dias has back after a month off and everyone getting a bit fit, we’ll be back.”
city they have been without theirs Ballon d’Or winner defensive midfielder Rodri since September. The Spaniard’s replacement, Mateo Kovacic, was also forced into the treatment room during the international break in November.
While Oscar Bobb is not expected to return until February, there are also doubts over his teammate Jeremy Doku. As Guardiola highlighted, centre-back John Stones is also a significant absentee.
So is the proliferation of injuries to the entire City squadGuardiola has openly admitted that there were half-fit players. Kevin De Bruyne, Nathan Ake, Ruben Dias, Kyle Walker and Manuel Akanji have been nursing various ailments while available for selection.
“Of course we will fight to win on Sunday.” Guardiola added “But winning won’t change much. The mood, five points, of course they will allow us to do that.
“But knowing the reality and the team, we cannot make goals to win the Premier League, the Champions League, the FA Cup. It is unnecessary when in the last six games we have not been able to win any.”
Guardiola has acknowledged that City have reversed points deficits in the past, but pointed out: “The problem is that we had the squad, we had everyone more or less competing with each other. Now we don’t have that.
“Now I tell him my reflection: what do you ask? Just give me the players back! That’s all I want! The rest? I don’t care. I’d love to lose the Premier League with the players.”
At the end of a breathless exchange, Guardiola concluded: “I don’t like not competing because the players I have are injured. But it is what it is. It’s life.”
