Pep Guardiola looks defeated as he delivers grim Man City injury update before Juventus and Man Utd

Seven players missed Manchester City's draw at Crystal Palace. Two more could only play a small role at the end. And then another integral player picked up an unhelpful suspension.

It's fair to say that everything that can go against City is going against City this season. They will take on Manchester United next weekend with just three senior defenders available.

One of those - captain Kyle Walker - is desperately out of form, and Pep Guardiola has admitted all of his squad are struggling with fitness. The draw at Palace moved City to within eight points of Liverpool, but they have gained a game in hand. And this week's trip to Juventus has turned into a must-win for their Champions League knockout chances.

ALSO READ: Pep Guardiola has just told Manchester United how to exploit Man City's biggest weakness

ALSO READ: I saw Kyle Walker react to two more Man City mistakes - he's lashing out at the wrong person

But Guardiola looked a beaten man as he delivered a desperate injury update for the coming weeks, let alone the two upcoming clashes against Juventus and United.

"We don't have players to come back [against Juventus]. The solution is give me players back and to do it," he said at Selhurst Park. "But it's not possible right now and I think it isn't going to happen for a long time.

"The reality is I will have few players to rotate in this type of period. When we arrive in the treble season and domestic treble it was because everyone was there. We have [on the bench], except [James] McAtee, Jack [Grealish] and Jeremy [Doku] the other ones were from the academy. And it's going to happen for the next games, the next three weeks, one month it's going to happen the same."

However, Guardiola doesn't want his City players to down tools despite his own downbeat demeanour. "I said to players, don't feel sorry, please. Accept the challenge," he insisted, having previously said that this season will be a 'season to just survive'.

"It will be more difficult but maybe at the end we have more satisfaction in the way we are going to behave in these problems than maybe in the other seasons when we won the titles.

"It's not a question of luck, it happens. It's life, it happens, accept it, and this is the challenge. That's why the challenge has been given. It's football, we know this season will be like this. What Always all the teams want their players fit and ready. Sometimes unfortunately since the beginning it could not happen. It's going to be [more difficult] for longer. One way or other we are going to try."

With Guardiola predicting he will have no returning players at Juventus, that means he is set to be without John Stones, Nathan Ake, Manu Akanji, Mateo Kovacic, Phil Foden, Oscar Bobb and Rodri - while Lewis will be suspended against United at the weekend.

He named three academy players on the bench at Crystal Palace, but only made two substitutions with both of those players - Grealish and Doku - struggling with fitness before the game.

It's hard to see when things start to improve.