Pep Guardiola has hit out at FIFA due to the shortage of players at Manchester City’s disposal for Thursday’s Carabao Cup tie with Liverpool.
City are still waiting for several first team stars to return from holidays following the World Cup, while striker Julian Alvarez is still in Qatar ahead of the final with Argentina.
The Premier League holders played their first – and only – friendly of the winter World Cup break on Saturday against sister club Girona, winning 2-0 with both Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne getting on the scoresheet.
But only four other senior players – Ilkay Gundogan, Riyad Mahrez, backup left-back Sergio Gomez and number two goalkeeper Stefan Ortega – were involved in the match.
The rest of the matchday squad was comprised of youth players and Guardiola is not optimistic about the state of his team going into Thursday’s Carabao Cup showdown with Liverpool at the Etihad.
Speaking after City’s friendly win against Girona on Saturday, Guardiola provided an update on how his squad is looking ahead of City’s return to action.
“At the moment, we have four or five players, and we will have to wait and see how the others come back,” he told City’s website.
“But we just don’t have players because the big brains of football decided this schedule and we are going to play this game [against Liverpool].
“Some players are coming back now and in the next few days and step by step, they will re-join their teammates here.
“People are coming back soon. Nathan (Ake), Aymer (Laporte), and Rodri, and later the players from the England and Portugal teams.”
Guardiola was happy, at least, with his side’s performance against Girona, saying: ‘Yeah really good. It was the first game after a long, long time – especially for some players that haven’t played much.
‘For a long time Erling, Sergio and Riyad haven’t played a game. Good minutes for all of us and we played against our friends, the Girona team, so yeah, good.’
On Alvarez’s breakout performances in Qatar, the City boss added: ‘All of us are happy for him. He’s going to play the final, he’s going to deal with what happens, he has a few days off to rest and after he’ll come back.’
