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back at the standards and the injuries we’ve had, with this amount of games, sooner or later the players break down.
“It happens, so the people in administration cannot complain. Of course it’s too much – and I’m so sorry for them. They (the authorities) should reflect this but they don’t care.
“You suffer. You want to do it well, but there’s pressure, so you push them. But at some moment the body says, ‘Stop, enough’.”
Guardiola insists leading managers have lobbied the FA and Premier League about the problem but nothing has changed.
The Manchester City boss wants English football to do what Germany and Spain do and play less matches – and even hinted the Carabao Cup should be scrapped.
Guardiola – who has started to rest Raheem Sterling having picked him 14 times more than any other player since becoming City boss – added: “The solution is less games.
“In the Bundesliga there are 18 teams not 20 and one cup not two. They have a break, so it’s a big difference.
“It’s just to protect the players. I can be tired but I don’t run. For them they’d enjoy it more. People can live without football for a while.
“It’s too much. The players deserve to be treated so they can perform as well as possible. Eliminate competitions, take them out completely, so there are less games.”
Southgate is now facing a striker crisis ahead of the March friendlies against Italy and Denmark and will consider asking Leicester striker Jamie Vardy to come out of international retirement, but it is understood he has no desire to return.
Vardy, who called time on his England career following the World Cup in Russia in 2018, is the Premier League’s leading scorer this season with 17 goals.
There has been a clamour for him to return, but the 33-yearold isn’t prepared to play second fiddle to those ahead of him in the pecking order.
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Aston Villa v Watford (7.30pm) ..................... Bournemouth v Brighton (7.30pm) ............... Chelsea v Arsenal (8.15pm) .......................... Crystal Palace v Southampton (7.30pm) ..... Everton v Newcastle (7.30pm) ...................... Sheff Utd v Man City (7.30pm) ......................
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