Guardiola plays it cool as City face a fixture pile-up

PEP GUARDIOLA admits he is powerless to stop a crazy fixture pile-up if Manchester City continue their pursuit of fighting for trophies on four fronts.

City will play their 35th game of the season at Huddersfield today and could end up being involved in 67 matches as they chase glory in the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup.

Similar congestion sent former Etihad boss Manuel Pellegrini into meltdown three years ago and he effectively conceded an FA Cup fifth-round tie at Chelsea by giving five teenagers their first starts in a 5-1 defeat.

Guardiola is aware that a new date against Everton will have to be squeezed into an already crowded schedule because City are set to be in the Carabao Cup Final at Wembley on February 24.

Further complications will arise if they need a replay in their FA Cup fourth-round tie against Burnley. The Manchester derby on March 16 will also have to be rescheduled if either City or United reach the cup quarter-finals, and the worst-case scenario is City having to play 32 games in 16 weeks, which includes time off for international breaks. It’s not ideal as they chase Liverpool for the title.

‘I am concerned but what can we do?’ said Guardiola. ‘We are scheduled for a game against Everton between Chelsea and Arsenal (on February 6 or 7) because of the Carabao Cup. And other games if we go through in the cups.

‘We will see what the league decides. When (they say) we have to play on that date, we will play that game.

‘I don’t know if it gives Liverpool an advantage. Perhaps if you play every few days, then everyone is in rhythm and focussed. Sometimes if you have a week or 10 days off, the rhythm might be wrong.’

Under the current rules, any red cards City players get in FA Cup and Carabao Cup ties count towards suspensions in league games, but yellow cards only count in the competition in which they were received.

Despite the problems, Guardiola seems determined to chase an unprecedented Quadruple rather than prioritise, as Pellegrini did in 2016.

‘When we go out, it is because the other side are better. We are not going to drop any competition,’ said Guardiola, who has previously won the Treble with Barcelona.

City will hope for a favour from new Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer when Liverpool visit Old Trafford next month.

Guardiola added: ‘If they beat Liverpool, perfect — but we also have to go to Old Trafford this season and if they (United) beat us, the situation is the same.

‘But there are many games for both sides before that.’

Huddersfield v Man City Today, 1.30pm, live on