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Pep Guardiola says same Manchester City back four cannot handle consecutive games

Manager’s centre backs have had a number of injury issues this season

Manchester City's Dutch defender Nathan Ake. Photograph: Nigel Roddis/AFP

Jamie Jackson
Mon Oct 10 2022 - 22:30

Pep Guardiola has said he cannot field the same back four for Manchester City because Nathan Ake, Ruben Dias, John Stones and Aymeric Laporte “cannot handle” playing every three days due to injury problems.

Stones and Walker are unavailable because of respective hamstring and groin problems, Laporte has only just returned following knee surgery, Ake has suffered a number of different issues, and last season Dias suffered a muscle strain that ruled him out for a number of weeks. This means Guardiola has to constantly tinker with the rearguard, having fielded a different one in the last six matches.

“I would love to have the same back four but they cannot handle it,” said Guardiola ahead of City’s Champions League group game away to Copenhagen on Tuesday. “The players we have cannot handle every three days of being fit, other teams might be able to, but we can’t.

“Nathan can’t, Ruben last season, Stones. Aymeric came back from a big injury so it’s important for us that everyone can play and everyone can perform well. If you want to be in there with all the titles we are fighting for and with the World Cup [coming up] and be in that position to fight until the end then we need to be ready to fight until the end, otherwise it will be so difficult.”

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City have conceded only 10 times in all competitions this season. Guardiola offered a view on how well his side are defending. “It’s good but we can do better in many aspects,” he said. “If we have a period when we play three games in three days we don’t have much time to analyse or think about the situation.

“After Liverpool [on Sunday] we have a week and have more time but now you don’t have much time to reflect on how we’re attacking or defending. In general it’s good because in the last two games we have played better, scored a lot of goals and conceded few and conceded few chances. It is the level we had in the previous four or five seasons and I like that, it means the team is still here, it didn’t disappear.”

City take on Copenhagen having claimed a maximum of nine points from their three group games so far, the most recent of which was last week’s 5-0 victory over the Danish side at the Etihad Stadium. Another victory would guarantees qualification to the knockout stages, while a draw would all but do the same for the Premier League champions. — Guardian

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