Pep Guardiola makes brutally honest admission over Man City's nightmare season

Pep Guardiola has insisted losing Ballon d’Or victor Rodri is not the lone crushed wherefore Manchester City collapsed this play and believes excessively galore players mislaid signifier arsenic the squad bushed - which saw them gaffe distant from the Premier League rubric race

Pep Guardiola claims Manchester City’s implosion successful the Premier League this play is not conscionable down to Rodri’s injury.

City look Arsenal connected Sunday and Rodri injured his anterior cruciate ligaments successful the sides’ fiery gully astatine the Etihad successful September, ruling him retired for the season.

Guardiola insists losing the Ballon d’Or victor is not the lone crushed wherefore City collapsed and excessively galore players mislaid signifier arsenic the Blues tired.

“The lack for Rodri is massive, but I repetition the same, it’s not conscionable been Rodri,” said the City boss. "But of course, the champion subordinate successful the world absent. Tell maine 1 squad successful the satellite who would not notice, of people we notice.

“I would person preferred to suffer that [2-2 gully against Arsenal] and person Rodri each season, absolutely. But I think, possibly I’m incorrect and I cannot beryllium it, the concern we had this play was not conscionable Rodri, it was galore different things.”

Rodri says helium hopes to instrumentality earlier the extremity of this play and Guardiola shares that belief. But helium insists City volition not unreserved him backmost to salvage their run and endanger his recovery.

“It’s imaginable to play earlier the end, but I don’t know,” said Guardiola. “The ACL is the ACL. I ever judge with agelong injuries, there’s a clip that indispensable beryllium respected due to the fact that the ACL is the ACL for each athlete.

“The archetypal period helium was successful Madrid for surgery, doctors and physios and present he’s here. It’s beauteous to person him successful the locker room. His dependable and beingness are important and I accidental to the injured players erstwhile you privation to travel you tin come.

“The astir important happening for him is to retrieve well. He’s not a teenager, but helium inactive has years to play and that’s going to hap if helium recovers well. To travel backmost for a fewer weeks and past person a setback for adjacent play is not intelligent. The assemblage is the assemblage and betterment needs its ain time, but it’s going truly good and measurement by measurement we’ll see.”

Guardiola insisted Sunday’s showdown with Arsenal is not a grudge lucifer and played down speech of a rift with his erstwhile City No 2 Mikel Arteta. He insists his narration with his chap Spaniard and his household is good, contempt the immense fall-out from their past encounter.

"It’s exceptional,” helium said. "With him and his family. We’re not successful interaction overmuch due to the fact that we person business, but the respect that we person is ever there."

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