Pep Guardiola has expressed confidence in Manchester City‘s ability to compete in all four competitions this season, provided his squad can stay injury-free.
Before Christmas, City have matches lined up in the Premier League, Champions League, and EFL Cup. They will enter the FA Cup in the third round in January.
– Pep Guardiola sends strong title warning to Arsenal and Liverpool
– Reranked: MVPs for each top Premier League club
– Former Man City midfielder Fernandinho retires
Last season, Guardiola’s team faced challenges when injuries took a toll on the squad. However, he is optimistic that the current depth will allow him to field competitive lineups across all tournaments.
“If we maintain a fit squad, we will compete in every game and every competition,” Guardiola stated at a press conference on Friday. “I have no doubts about that. Last season, we were unable to compete in any competition.”
“Naturally, injuries are part of the process, but we believe we can be competitive across all competitions. We will strive to do just that.”
Guardiola will be missing both Rodri and Mateo Kovacic for the upcoming match against Newcastle on Saturday.
Kovacic, who underwent surgery for an Achilles injury over the summer, is expected to be out longer after undergoing another procedure for an ankle issue. Guardiola commented, “He put in an extraordinary effort and played through pain before the surgery but ultimately could not continue. While experiencing discomfort is normal, the limitations he faced before the surgery were significant, and we hope for his full recovery.”