Ditch one of the cups, says Guardiola

PEP GUARDIOLA has sensationally called for English football to scrap one of its cup competitions. England have been hit by serious injuries to strikers Harry Kane and Marcus Rashford this month. And Manchester City boss Guardiola blames the number of games in the relentless domestic schedule, claiming complaints made by managers about player welfare have been ignored. ‘With that number of games, I’m not surprised players break down,’ Guardiola said yesterday. ‘That is normal. Kane and Rashford are incredibly important players for England. The big administrators cannot complain because it is normal that this happens. We demand too much from the players. All the managers complained but they don’t care. ‘Eliminate competitions, take them out. Less games, less competitions, less teams, more quality, less quantity.’

The City manager’s proposal to remove a competition chimes with the view of EFL chairman Rick Parry, who admitted the future of the Carabao Cup was ‘clearly of concern’. EFL clubs fear revenues could reduce by 30 per cent in the coming years. The comments of Guardiola (left) are significant given City are one game from reaching a third consecutive Carabao Cup final and plan to rigorously defend their FA Cup crown.