Pep Guardiola did not enjoy Tuesday’s home defeat to Bayer Leverkusen in which he made 10 changes to his Manchester City side.Photograph: Peter Powell/Reuters
Pep Guardiola has accused Manchester City’s players of performing with fear in their [2-0 defeat by Bayer Leverkusen](https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/grimaldo-schick-shock-understrength-manchester-220159280.html). The head coach made 10 changes for the Champions League match and said those selected had not taken the risks needed to win .
After two straight losses, City hope to return to form when Leeds visit on Saturday. Daniel Farke’s side have won once in their past six Premier League games, leaving them in the relegation zone. Guardiola is likely to recall many of those rested from the start on Tuesday.
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“We didn’t try and in football when you play on the green you have to try things and we didn’t try,” Guardiola said of the loss to Leverkusen. “Maybe I have a theory to rotate because it’s impossible to sustain but I had a lot of confidence in them and I still do. I have a huge value for what they are as football players. Maybe I think higher of them than they think about themselves. It was a good lesson for me, as experienced as I am as a manager it was a good lesson for me for the future.”
With City playing twice a week until mid-January, Guardiola will need to rely on his entire squad but some are facing a crisis of confidence. “I’m pretty sure that they, surrounded by other players, will play good,” he said. “I think they played not to make mistakes, not to play to do something. That is so difficult. In football, you have to play defensive and offensive and you have to try. They played to be safe, to not make mistakes and that’s why it’s so difficult.”
Guardiola will again be without Rodri, who is absent with a hamstring injury but is “not far off”.