Pep Guardiola has called on Manchester City’s squad to play through the pain amid the worst injury crisis of his reign as manager.
Nine of City’s players have injury concerns going into Saturday’s trip to Andoni Iraola’s fancied Bournemouth after Savinho, Manuel Akanji and Josko Gvardiol picked up issues during the midweek Carabao Cup defeat at Tottenham.
Akanji hopes to prove his fitness from a groin problem and the central defender, alongside Ruben Dias, has been managing niggles while continuing to play this season.
Although back in training for weeks, Kevin De Bruyne has not felt ready to return from a pelvic injury, while Guardiola has previously ruled Jeremy Doku, Jack Grealish and Kyle Walker out until after the international break.
‘There are moments when injuries are [harmful] injuries and be careful but sometimes if you have problems you have to play,’ Guardiola said. ‘Rafa Nadal played all of his career with pain. He played. And won I don’t know how many Grand Slams.
Pep Guardiola has admitted some of his Man City stars will have to play through pain as their continue to navigate an injury crisis
Manuel Akanji could be involved against Bournemouth on Saturday after playing through issues this season
Meanwhile Kevin De Bruyne is unavailable as he continues to recover from a pelvic injury
‘You have to deal with it in modern football or you can’t sustain games every three days at a top club.
‘Kevin is getting better. The last two, three days the doctor said to me that he made a step forward in terms of pain.’
City travel 3,400 miles over the next seven days, with Sporting in the Champions League before a trip back down to the south coast to face Brighton next Saturday.
Guardiola – also without Rodri and Oscar Bobb for the long term – reiterated that he demands his team dedicate themselves to the cause.
The Catalan added: ‘It’s literally impossible to say you have to think about it [the job] for 24 hours a day, but 23? Yeah. You have to be incredibly focused on your body and your jobs, with the less distractions as possible.
‘At top clubs and especially after winning a lot, you have to be more focused. Not thinking about what you have done or do a little bit less than the past – you cannot sustain it.
Rodri remains on the sidelines after picking up a serious injury against Arsenal in September
‘It depends on the players. There are players who say, “OK, I’m ready” and there are players who have more tendency to get niggles with their history.
‘There are the others who just go, go go – that it doesn’t matter what happens. It’s not because they are more or less [focused]. It’s that they can adapt to sustain incredible amounts of efforts every day more than the other ones.’