Pep Guardiola warns injured Man City players they can't stay if they can't play
Manchester City take on Liverpool at the Etihad this weekend with Pep Guardiola tasked with picking his side up after their bruising Champions League exit at Real Madrid.
Pep Guardiola sent his clearest warning yet to his crocked Manchester City squad: if they cannot stay fit, they will have to be sold in the summer.
After learning of John Stones' latest 'two to three-month' layoff, Guardiola was asked whether players who cannot keep themselves available for three games a week will have to have their futures evaluated in the summer.
‌
Talk of a summer overhaul has grown amid City's struggles this season, and that subject has become more prevalent following their Champions League humbling vs Real Madrid this week.
‌
Stones limped off just four minutes into the second leg at the Bernabeu, meaning his latest return from injury lasted just eight games. His previous two attempted returns were ended after 45 minutes each and he has missed 18 games this term from a possible 40, starting only 13 and completing the full 90 minutes eight times.
Asked if City can afford to keep players like Stones who keep suffering injuries, Guardiola sent a strong message to the England man and others who have been unable to stay fit this season.
Article continues below
He said: "That is the reality. We have to sit down with the doctors, physios, the players, agents and be clear that some of them cannot sustain every three days - every month or two months playing every three days. This is the reality.
"There are already a lot of players who cannot sustain what we have done in the past every week in, week out. Playing in different competitions, travels without the problems. The quality is there, injuries for a long time, recover and have be in the demanding opponents where today the modern football [improves]. We deserve to have a bad season, it can happen.
"The reality is for the future if we want to be there again we need players fit and available. It can happen sometimes but already it happens many times. It's so so demanding for the teams are quicker, faster, stronger and we cannot handle it right now."