Pep Guardiola has warned in the aging nucleus of Manchester City that they may need to leave the club if they cannot physically cope with the increasing workload.
The city has been plagued by a injury crisis throughout the year and have recently lost the duo of the back Manuel Akanji and John Stones to fresh fitness problemsHighlighting why the club separated with the best part of 65 million pounds to sign both Vitor Reis and Abdukodir Khusanov in the January transfer window.
As well as injury, City They also had to fight with an aging nucleus – 11 of their workforce will be more than 30 years in September, which Guardiola does not think he can compete against a younger and more fresh side.
For those players who cannot play reliably each week, Guardiola acknowledged that it may be time to move on.
“It’s a reality,” Guardiola confessed. “We need to sit with doctors, with physios, players, agents, and be clear that some cannot support every three days, every month, every two months, playing every three, four days.
“So this is reality. There is another year, (then) a World Cup.”
Kevin de Bruyne sang a question line. Although he was widely considered one of the best midfielders in the world, the 33 -year -old was named on the bench for the recent defeat of the Champions League in Real Madrid and has begun only 11 times in the Premier League all season.
Asked why Bruyne did not start against the city, Guardiola clearly admitted: “It’s just a decision. It’s what I’ve seen, for some reasons.
“Also Jeremy (Doku) did not play; the last game he played was Ipswich, it was incredible and then having and physical, we need more control and not up and down.”
