After Manchester City’s 2-2 draw against Crystal Palace, things do not get much easier for Pep Guardiola and his side.
Manchester City travel to Turin to go toe-to-toe against Juventus on Wednesday, a contest that could determine whether they qualify for the top eight in the Champions League.
On Sunday, Pep Guardiola’s men host Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium.
Ruben Amorim will be desperate to help United return to winning ways after his side’s 3-2 defeat against Nottingham Forest with a statement result on derby day.
A trip to Villa Park to face Unai Emery’s Aston Villa after the Manchester Derby goes to show the unforgiving fixture schedule City have in store.
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Bernardo Silva thanked Manchester City fans for their support during such trying times for his Manchester City side and he would be one of the senior players desperate to help his side return to form.
Head Coach Josep Guardiola of Manchester City speaks with players during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD4 match between Sporting ...
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Pep Guardiola tells Man City players not to ‘feel sorry’ for themselves
While the Sky Blues have underwhelmed due to a multitude of reasons this season, it has not helped their case that they have suffered constant injuries.
Against Crystal Palace, the likes of Nathan Ake and Manuel Akanji were injured, alongside John Stones while Jack Grealish was not deemed fully fit to start. Rodri and Oscar Bobb have already been ruled out due to long-term injuries in any case while Kevin De Bruyne has made a recent return to the starting XI.
Pep suggests Grealish decision is fitness related:
"Jack yesterday has some struggles. Jeremy came back after three or four weeks with a muscular injury. Three days it was too much risk. Fresh legs, energy and let's go." #mcfc
— Joe Bray (@_joebray) December 7, 2024
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Pep Guardiola initially claimed that Manchester City must deal with their injury crisis head-on in a season where he anticipates constant fitness issues plaguing his side.
Guardiola said via BeanymanSports: “Give me my players back and we will do it. But it’s not possible right now, I don’t think it’s going to happen for a long time because we recover last week, four central defenders but they passed the massage table to the pitch. And after the pitch, go to the massage table again.”
“So, normally, after the massage table, you need the training, the tempo but in the circumstances we have, we could not do it.”
Pep Guardiola added: “The doctors, the physios, the specialists, everyone is working incredibly this season, like never before I have ever seen. But the reality is we have a few players to rotate in this type of period.”
“For the next three weeks, one month, it’s going to happen the same. But it’s not a question of unlucky, it’s a question of it’s happened, it’s life, sometimes happens and we have to accept it and this is the challenge and that’s why the challenge has been given.”
Despite Manchester City’s injury problems, Pep Guardiola had a word of advice for his players: “I said to the players, don’t feel sorry, please. Accept the challenge, it’ll be more difficult, and maybe at the end, we’ll have more satisfaction in the way we’re going to behave in these problems than maybe in other seasons that we won the Premier League title.”
Man City players must embrace Erling Haaland message
Erling Haaland’s message to Manchester City fans after his side’s 2-2 draw against Crystal Palace was to focus on their upcoming test against Juventus.
“Thank you for the support as always, Cityzens, onto Wednesday.”
Haaland seemingly decided not to focus on the disappointing result City endured at Selhurst Park and instead, looked ahead to their next game.
Pep Guardiola’s message to his players was to embrace the challenge of bouncing back from adversity, one that the Norwegian has accepted and his teammates must as well.
Otherwise, Manchester City will find it extremely difficult to redeem themselves in a campaign that is going from bad to worse.
Leaders like Pep Guardiola and Haaland, however, will be hoping that the other players in question follow in their footsteps.
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