No pain, no gain for City’s crocks
SHATTERED STARS KEEP PHYSIOS BUSY
PEP GUARDIOLA said his players booked themselves in for 71 physio treatments on niggles and injuries in the three days between the Atletico Madrid and Liverpool matches.
City’s medical team have racked up the overtime during a schedule of four games in 12 days – two each against the Spanish champions and Liverpool.
Guardiola said they were snowed under with requests between the last two of those games as his squad try to cope with the demands of chasing silverware on multiple fronts.
“Our physios made 71 treatments between Atletico Madrid and the FA Cup semifinal against Liverpool. The full figure is 71, it’s true,” he said.
“We had six massage tables. [The treatments were] in the hotel from the night after the game, in the morning on arriving at the hotel, the morning before training, after the training session and the day of the game.”
City have got through the toughest fortnight in their season so far with what Guardiola prefers to be a relatively small squad of trusted players, even if injuries have tested his theory to the limit.
“In the 12 days against Liverpool, Atletico, Liverpool, Atletico, you need many players, but not necessarily 25 or 27. I don’t like more than 16, 17 or 18 – it is difficult to handle,” he said.
“But they have to be fit, otherwise it’s difficult to handle all of the competitions.”
Guardiola shuffled his pack for the FA Cup semi-final against Liverpool at Wembley last Saturday but saw his depleted side go down 3-2.
Kevin De Bruyne, Kyle Walker, Aymeric Laporte, Rodri and Ilkay Gundogan were all suffering with niggles, knocks or fatigue after the Champions League quarter-final second leg against Atletico Madrid. The City boss said Walker remains on the sidelines but he expects to be boosted by the return of several of those tonight for the visit of Brighton.
Guardiola could also give Ruben Dias a return to frontline action after seven weeks with a hamstring tear. City eased past the Seagulls earlier in the season, winning 4-1 on the South Coast but Brighton approach this game in better form having thrown a spanner in the top-four hopes of both Arsenal and Tottenham.
“They don’t need to win at Arsenal and Spurs to know they are a good side,” said Guardiola. “I have a lot of admiration for them, how they play, the way they play, the results they got. It will be a good test for us.”
MAN CITY (probable): Ederson; Cancelo, Stones, Ake, Zinchenko; Bernardo, Rodri, Gundogan; Jesus, Foden, Grealish.
BRIGHTON (probable): Sanchez; Dunk, Veltman, Cucurella; Lamptey, Alzate, Gross, Caicedo, Trossard; Mwepu, Mac Allister.