Guardiola Trusts Rodri’s Recovery to Lift Manchester City

Pep Guardiola, manager of Manchester City, stated that once Rodrigo Hernández returns from his injury, the team will regain its strength after winning only one of their last ten matches. Additionally, he advocated for squads of "45 to 50 players" to cope with the demands of the football calendar.

The Spanish coach is experiencing the most challenging period since starting his managerial career. Manchester City has seen its Premier League title hopes compromised and its qualification for the next round of the Champions League endangered. One of the main causes of this slump is the wave of injuries affecting the team, particularly Rodri, who suffered a cruciate ligament rupture in September.

"If we need players, we'll go to the transfer market, but I don’t know what will be available. Rodri is a Ballon d’Or-level player. We are playing without the best player in the world last season. That’s the problem," Guardiola said during a press conference on Friday.

"When he returns, we will be strong again. We will be a great team once more. We are trying to play and win in the same way, and sooner or later, we will be back," added the manager.

Guardiola Suggests Changes in Squad Sizes

Amid the challenges, Guardiola explained they are evaluating alternatives to cope with injuries and squad limitations:
"I don’t know what we have to do, but I need players. Right now, we have three defenders, and maybe a winger will have to play as a full-back, or perhaps we’ll need to use a back five. This group of players has done incredible things. I only ask the fans to stay with us until the end."

The coach highlighted that this season, they have suffered more injuries than ever, leading him to consider larger squads:
"Maybe squads of 45 or 50 players are necessary. In the end, the schedule is the real problem, not the physios, doctors, or players." 

Guardiola concluded that expanding squad sizes would make for a more expensive summer, but he emphasized this might be the solution to mitigate the physical demands of current football schedules.