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‘You need squad with 25, 30 players’: Pep Guardiola says Manchester City need more signings to cope with congested schedule

Guardiola is at present in unchartered territory in his managerial career with City having won just once in their last 10 matches while losing 7 and drawing 2 with their last defeat coming to Juventus in the Champions League in the midweek

Pep Guardiola new signings Manchester City

Manchester City's head coach Pep Guardiola reacts during the Champions League, opening phase soccer match between Juventus and Manchester City at the Allianz stadium in Turin, Italy, Tuesday, Wednesday, Dec.11, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said the club will need to sign more players in order to make a big enough squad to cope with the challenges of the congestive football schedule.

“It made me reflect that maybe with this calendar you need a squad with 25, 30 players. It will be more difficult financially for the club. People say, What is the problem?’ The problem is the schedule,” Guardiola said on Friday.

“Sooner or later it will happen for all clubs. When we won the treble (in 2023), the four domestics, we have one, two, three injuries, but we were so stable. That’s why we could compete, and now we cannot,” he added.

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City have been ravaged by setbacks this season with Rodri, Kevin De Bruyne, John Stones, Ruben Dias and Phil Foden all having injuries leading to the defending Premier League champion’s form to nosedive.

Guardiola is at present in unchartered territory in his managerial career with City having won just once in their last 10 matches while losing 7 and drawing 2 with their last defeat coming to Juventus in the Champions League in the midweek. They are also in the 4th position in the Premier League table, 8 points behind league leaders Liverpool, who still have one game in hand.

“We are sad, I’m sad for the players because the way they run and they fight with the circumstances they have. Our fans, maybe they are sad. I understand completely because maybe we lose seven games, eight games in one season or in two seasons, and now (in) a month and a half,” Guardiola said.

Manchester City will next play the derby against archrivals Manchester United on Sunday.