Pep Guardiola admitted for the first time that Manchester City needed a bigger squad this season as he warned that the schedule demands would come for every club.

Ilkay Gundogan and Savinho arrived in the summer but Erling Haaland backup Julian Alvarez was sold for a club record fee as part of their biggest ever window for player sales, including another academy exodus. Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Liam Delap and Joao Cancelo were among those to leave permanently, with Issa Kabore and Kalvin Phillips on the loan list.

City enjoyed a terrific start to the season and were unbeaten in all competitions until late-October, but have just one win in their last ten games with an awful injury situation that shows no sign of improving. Guardiola insists that his side would be challenging for the title if he had everyone fit, but as he prepares for a Manchester derby with just three senior defenders available the manager has come round to the idea that a bigger squad was necessary.

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"There are more games than ever, we have more injuries than ever. It made me reflect that with this calendar you need a squad of 25-30 players," said Guardiola.

"It will be more difficult financially for the club but today we are going to play the Club World in summer, three weeks then start the Premier League again, and maybe we have to have a deeper squad. When people say what is the problem it's the schedule.

"It's not the training, not the doctors, not the physios, not the players, not how they eat or how they rest. It's just one problem: the schedule. The schedule sooner or later will happen to all the clubs. Look at Madrid or elsewhere at the injuries. This is the truth.

"Without players, everything is more difficult. When we won the Treble or four in a row, we had one, two or three injuries - muscular - and were so stable. That's why we could compete and now we cannot.

"It's time to survive and stay there, be closer than ever and sooner or later the players come back. Champions League qualifying will not be easy but if we can be there I don't know what will happen in January or February to my team. We always respond well."