SAN FRANCISCO, November 30, (THEWILL) – Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is set to send a message to the players at the club about the standards he expects from them and, as such, has played down the idea of resting any player in their upcoming Champions League fixtures.
After four straight wins in Europe, City have qualified for the last 16 with two games to spare. Last week, with more players returning from injury, Guardiola left midfielder Kevin De Bruyne and defender Kyle Walker at home for the trip to Olympiacos.
Yet, their European form has not been replicated domestically where players have struggled for goals and points. The Manchester side has only won four of nine Premier League games this term and are on their lowest scoring run since 2006 before Saturday’s 5-0 thumping of Burnley.
Guardiola has, therefore, taken advantage of the improving injury situation in the squad to evoke competition between the players. The manager reiterated that point several times in his press conference on Saturday. He left defenders Aymeric Laporte, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Nathan Ake out of his matchday squad for the convincing home win.
For Tuesday’s upcoming trip to Porto, the 49-year-old has made it clear that nobody in the squad should take it as a good sign if they are not in the starting XI for what is effectively a dead rubber.
“It’s not about rest here. I saw Kevin a little bit exhausted mentally, that’s true. But right now I see the players who are in the better conditions or more focused.
“If the players think they have been rested because I am rotating, they have made a big mistake. Every game I pick the best players, sometimes for the benefit of the team, sometimes because of injuries, but especially the players who play well.
“Any players who believe they deserve to start because they have been here for three or four years, they have a big mistake. Every player from the youngest in Phil Foden to the most experienced in Fernandinho deserves the same treatment and opportunities.
“It doesn’t matter if you win a lot of titles in the past or you score a lot of goals – you have to show it on the patch, in the recent past, in the present and especially in the future.”
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
