Pep Guardiola highlights Manchester City's struggle amid injury crisis
Manchester City's manager Pep Guardiola has raised concern over the team's capability to sail through their ongoing injury crisis. This comes as they gear up for their UEFA Champions League clash against Sporting Lisbon. The English champions suffered from successive losses to Tottenham in the League Cup and Bournemouth, which ended an 11-month unbeaten run in the Premier League.
Key players sidelined due to injuries
The injury crisis has kept key players like Ballon d'Or winner Rodri out of action, who is ruled out of the season with a knee injury. Other absentees in Guardiola's squad are Oscar Bobb, Ruben Dias, Jack Grealish, and John Stones. "You know the situation with Rodri, nominated the best player in the world," Guardiola said at a pre-match press conference on Monday.
Guardiola acknowledges challenges ahead
Guardiola admitted the injury crisis is making things difficult for his team. "We know we will struggle, and we have to accept that, and it is fine," he said. He also added that compared to others, this season has been plagued by personal reasons and injuries.
Guardiola praises Sporting's consistency ahead of match
As Manchester City gears up to take on Sporting Lisbon, Guardiola lauded the Portuguese side's consistency. "They have changed players but have same manager and same mentality," he said. "Winning the league for first time in 20 years and then doing it again last season shows what a good job he has done."
Silva urges team to stay strong despite injuries
Bernardo Silva, who scored twice in City's 5-0 win against Sporting two years ago, urged his team not to use their injury crisis as an excuse. "With a full squad we are stronger, there's no denying that. We have a lot of unbelievable players missing," he said. He emphasized that the club has never been about finding excuses and must continue to push forward.
