Pep Guardiola launches staunch defence of Man City players after losing run amid rebuild claim

Pep Guardiola has played down the request for a rebuild astatine Manchester City, insisting his squad remains "exceptional" and that helium trusts his players "more than ever".

The champions are present 8 points down Liverpool, who tin widen the spread further if they inflict different decision connected their rivals astatine Anfield adjacent Sunday.

Guardiola's squad has been beset by injuries this play but John Stones returned to the XI against Spurs, portion Kevin de Bruyne and Jack Grealish were second-half substitutes.

Asked if City needed a summertime rebuild aft 4 consecutive League titles, Guardiola said: "I deliberation erstwhile each the squad is determination it is exceptional.

"I volition not, for my boys, accidental a connection that my squad is not good. My squad is not acceptable now. It is simply a small occupation that we person successful this play but the squad is truly bully and astatine the extremity of the play oregon whenever... we volition instrumentality the close decisions connected what to do.

"I spot these players much than ever. I’ve been present arsenic a shot player. You person doubts. You privation to win. They are hopeless to bash well."They are not [like] ‘Hey, it doesn’t matter’. Absolutely not.

"I spot them each time successful grooming sessions, however focused they are. In the locker room, successful the warm-up and aft the game, they consciousness it.

"It is small things incorrect from the opening of the play that are getting worse, a small spot worse successful situations. Now we person to look it.

"You cannot accidental anything, the concern is wherever you person to support going my friends, support going. We person done it successful the past. Not arsenic atrocious arsenic present successful presumption of results, but we person done it and faced the concern and moved forward."

City person beaten conscionable Wolves, Southampton and Fulham by a azygous extremity since Ballon d'Or victor Rodri was ruled retired for the play with a cruciate ligament wounded successful September, portion his replacement successful the broadside Mateo Kovacic was injured connected planetary work and acceptable to beryllium retired for up to a month.

Guardiola reiterated that helium indispensable find a mode for his broadside to found power and get backmost to winning ways without the pair, with Feyenoord the visitors the Etihad successful the Champions League connected Tuesday nighttime earlier the crunch six-pointer against Liverpool.

"Of people [we missed] the beingness from cardinal defenders erstwhile they are each fit, from Rodri of course, Kova with his abstraction of course," said Guardiola, who signed a two-year declaration extension up of the decision to Spurs.

"It is antithetic from playing with different ones but you person to woody with this and these types of games, much power and these types of things.

"During the play it happens. We don’t expect to suffer important games galore times but it has happened and we person to find a way.

"When we started to suffer I said to radical ‘I person to find a way’. I person to. It is my work and work to find a mode to beryllium much consistent, get amended and triumph games. This is what we person to do."