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Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is worried about his team’s mounting injury list following their Champions League victory against Crvena Zvezda on Tuesday night, saying they’re “in trouble”.
Despite having the ability to name 12 players on the bench for the clash, Manchester City had just six outfield substitutes available due to an ever-growing injury list. Kevin De Bruyne is expected to miss at least the next few months of football, while Jack Grealish, Mateo Kovacic and John Stones are all sidelined, too.
To make matters worse, Bernardo Silva had to leave the pitch in the 44th minute after sustaining a knock, which Guardiola said would keep him out for “the next few weeks”.
Regardless of those issues, Manchester City did manage to beat Crvena Zvezda 3-1 as they look to retain their Champions League crown this season. Julian Alvarez scored a brace, with Rodri adding the third to put the game beyond their Serbian counterparts.
Manchester City are due to play five games in the space of two weeks until the next international break, something that concerns Guardiola. The last of those matches is away against Arsenal on October 8, too.
“We are in trouble but I am not going to say ‘Oh, we have a lot of injuries’. It is what it is,” Guardiola said after the game. “With the players we have, we will go for it. As long as we have that mentality, that is good.
“We have five really important players injured and to sustain that for a long time would be difficult.”
Guardiola’s comments, however, come after spending over £200m in the summer transfer window on Josko Gvardiol, Jeremy Doku and Matheus Nunes. The win against Crvena Zvezda is also their sixth consecutive victory, as they sit atop the Premier League table with a perfect record after five games.
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