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Unlucky 13 for Guardiola as injuries mount for Man City
LONDON, Sept 25, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola
claims to have just 13 fit senior players for Sunday’s Premier League clash
with Leicester.
Sergio Aguero, Bernardo Silva, Joao Cancelo and Oleksandr Zinchenko have
been sidelined by injury, while Ilkay Gundogan has tested positive for
coronavirus and Aymeric Laporte’s pre-season was also delayed when he
contracted COVID-19.
Guardiola turned to youth for Thursday’s 2-1 League Cup victory over
Bournemouth and expects to have to call on the club’s academy resources
again.
“The situation we have right now, we have just 13 players available in the
first team,” said Guardiola. “We need the academy, not just for the training
sessions. They can be selected during the games.”
One youngster who caught the eye was 17-year-old striker Liam Delap – son
of former Stoke midfielder Rory – who opened the scoring with a fine strike
from just inside the area.
With Aguero possibly out for another two months as he recovers from knee
surgery, the teenager could see more action in the coming weeks.
“With the problems we have up front, of course Liam will stay with us.
We’ll see if we need him or use him,” added Guardiola.
“But we cannot forget, like the same way we spoke about Phil Foden in
previous seasons, he’s just 17 years old. He has a lot of things to improve,
steps need their own time.”
Now 20, Foden has shone as a first-team regular since English football
returned from the coronavirus shutdown in June.
Guardiola had been questioned for not handing the England midfielder more
minutes earlier in his career, but he believes Foden shows homegrown talents
will be given their chance at City despite the club’s spending in the
transfer market.
“We congratulate the academy. I am the last step, but before there are a
lot of people in the club working for this and it is a big success for them,”
said Guardiola.
“That’s why you have the academy. When you need players we can use it. It
depends on the quality of the player.
“When they have desire, work ethic and the quality is good, they will have
chances.”
BSS/AFP/BZC/1900HRS