News
‘WE ARE GOING TO KILL THE PLAYERS’ – GUARDIOLA HITS OUT AFTER LATEST INJURY SETBACK FOR MANCHESTER CITY
The manager spoke in dramatic terms after seeing his right-back limp through the final minutes against Watford
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola expressed his concern that the Premier League’s packed schedule could “kill players” as Kyle Walker became the latest player in the treatment room for the leaders.
Pep’s men bounced back in typical fashion on Tuesday after dropping points at Crystal Palace, beating Watford 3-1 in a dominant performance.
City now lie 15 points clear at the summit, although Chelsea can move within 14 with victory over Arsenal on Wednesday. But a “little problem” picked up by Walker meant the win was bittersweet for the manager.
“We are going to check [the injury] out, he might have a little problem,” he told reporters when asked about Walker, who limped through the last few minutes at the Etihad Stadium with a possible groin injury.
“Everyone saw in the last weeks how many injuries the players have. We are going to kill [the players]. The bosses at the federation have to reflect. It’s not normal to play the 31st and two days later.
“I know the show must go on, [but] they have to control it. They don’t protect the players, the people come to watch, not the managers or the press conferences. Here in England you don’t protect the players, you have to look for the quality not the quantity.
“Of course, space the [games] out. I’m not saying change Boxing Day, the great tradition, but you cannot play at Selhurst Park, hope to celebrate New Year’s Eve but are thinking about the game two days later. People say it’s impossible, it’s not basketball or tennis, the players need recovery. Just see how many players have muscular injuries.
“The show must go on, we have a lot of people here to take care of them but the schedule does not protect the players.”
City currently have Benjamin Mendy and Gabriel Jesus on the sidelines , both with knee ligament injuries, while Kevin De Bruyne played on Tuesday despite limping off the field against Palace after a horror tackle from Jason Puncheon.
Follow us on social media:
“The quality of a woman isn’t measured by the hair on her head but by her brain” – Yul Edochie cautions ladies against killing themselves over expensive hair this Christmas
President Tinubu cancels Lagos engagements in honor of food stampede victims
Moment stage collapses on Odumodublvck during concert performance (Video)
Goods worth millions of naira destroyed as fire guts spare parts market in Ibadan
“The money wey dem pay me don expire” – Moment Burna Boy stops his performance at the Oando PLC end of the year party (Video)
Goods worth millions of naira destroyed as fire guts spare parts market in Ibadan
Moment stage collapses on Odumodublvck during concert performance (Video)
President Tinubu cancels Lagos engagements in honor of food stampede victims
-
Celebrity Gossip & Gist1 day agoMoment stage collapses on Odumodublvck during concert performance (Video)
-
Economy1 day agoPresident Tinubu cancels Lagos engagements in honor of food stampede victims
-
Celebrity Gossip & Gist1 day ago“The quality of a woman isn’t measured by the hair on her head but by her brain” – Yul Edochie cautions ladies against killing themselves over expensive hair this Christmas