Pep questions city transfer plan in striking admission as he sets out warning

MANCHESTER CITY MANAGER PEP GUARDIOLA REFLECTED ON WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN NEEDED THIS SEASON AS THEY LOOK TO SAVE THEIR CAMPAIGN 14:07, 13 Dec 2024 Pep Guardiola admitted for the first time

that Manchester City needed a bigger squad this season as he warned that the schedule demands would come for every club. Ilkay Gundogan and Savinho arrived in the summer but Erling Haaland

backup Julian Alvarez was sold for a club record fee as part of their biggest ever window for player sales, including another academy exodus. Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Liam Delap and Joao

Cancelo were among those to leave permanently, with Issa Kabore and Kalvin Phillips on the loan list. City enjoyed a terrific start to the season and were unbeaten in all competitions until

late-October, but have just one win in their last ten games with an awful injury situation that shows no sign of improving. Guardiola insists that his side would be challenging for the title

if he had everyone fit, but as he prepares for a Manchester derby with just three senior defenders available the manager has come round to the idea that a bigger squad was necessary. READ

MORE: GUARDIOLA TEASES NEW PLAN WITH JUST THREE DEFENDERS TO FACE UNITED READ MORE: CITY CHAIRMAN MAKES STATEMENT AS BLUES RECORD BIG PROFIT "There are more games than ever, we have

more injuries than ever. It made me reflect that with this calendar you need a squad of 25-30 players," said Guardiola. "It will be more difficult financially for the club but

today we are going to play the Club World in summer, three weeks then start the Premier League again, and maybe we have to have a deeper squad. When people say what is the problem it's

the schedule. "It's not the training, not the doctors, not the physios, not the players, not how they eat or how they rest. It's just one problem: the schedule. The schedule

sooner or later will happen to all the clubs. Look at Madrid or elsewhere at the injuries. This is the truth. Article continues below "Without players, everything is more difficult.

When we won the Treble or four in a row, we had one, two or three injuries - muscular - and were so stable. That's why we could compete and now we cannot. "It's time to

survive and stay there, be closer than ever and sooner or later the players come back. Champions League qualifying will not be easy but if we can be there I don't know what will happen

in January or February to my team. We always respond well."