Too much work is being left to too few at Manchester City this season. That is an unavoidable fact, as injuries and fatigue have had a detrimental effect on Pep Guardiola’s squad this season. City entered Saturday’s 2-all draw against Crystal Palace with seven first-team players unavailable. That is an untenable situation for the world champions to navigate. Unfortunately, that is the reality the champions have faced over the past month or so of football.
A select group of Manchester City players have stood up and played regularly throughout City’s injury crisis. Erling Haaland, Rico Lewis, Ilkay Gundogan, Bernardo Silva and Josko Gvardiol have been the only constants in Pep Guardiola’s lineup of late. Although at times they haven’t been at their best they do deserve credit for always fronting up every 3 days for their team. As results haven’t been what is expected of Manchester City of late, their durability has been overlooked. Without them, the world champions could have found themselves in a deeper hole.
READ MORE: Getting players back from injury is Manchester City’s only hope for now.
Speaking after his team’s draw with Crystal Palace Pep Guardiola told the media that his team was lucky to have the five players mentioned. He praised them all, plus Haaland’s constant goal threat post-game. Guardiola told the media: “*We are so lucky to have him, we are so lucky. We are lucky we have Rico, we are lucky we have Bernardo, Josko, Gundo – all this season these players have been playing without rest. We are so lucky we have these five-six players with us and Erling with his sense of goal and threat is always there, we are lucky to have him.*”
What we are seeing now with Manchester City is what happens when too much is left to too few. Manchester City’s injury crisis has had a flow-on effect across Pep Guardiola’s squad. Erling Haaland, Rico Lewis, Bernardo Silva, Ilkay Gundogan and Josko Gvardiol have had to soldier on without their injured teammate. They each have done an admirable job in trying circumstances. But the current situation isn’t sustainable. Hopefully City get players back sooner rather than later for the good of every player in the Manchester City squad.