It is well known that Manchester City are facing an injury crisis of sorts as they prepare to take on Southampton later today. The champions will be determined to pick up three points despite missing a host of players. But rather than use the injuries as an excuse it is just another challenge for City to overcome.
Manchester City enters today’s game without several key players. Rodri, Oscar Bobb, Jack Grealish, Kyle Walker, Jeremy Doku and Kevin De Bruyne are all out of today’s match. That’s the nature of football that injuries occur. But how a team overcomes the hurdles that are presented over a season often defines them. It’s a road the world champions know all too well based on their exploits over the past seven seasons.
Speaking during his pre-game press conference Pep Guardiola knows the injury situation facing his squad is far from ideal. But that is the hand City have been dealt as they have a tough of fixtures on the horizon. When asked about City’s injury situation, Guardiola said: “For one game or two games, it’s fine, Now we have a tough period after each game we have four days or three days to Bournemouth [after Tottenham], how difficult and demanding that is. We go to Lisbon after three days and then come back and go to Brighton. With just 14/15 players, of course, I am [concerned].”
The Manchester City manager added that the injury situation is just another challenge for his team to overcome. Rather than dwell on what players he doesn’t have Pep Guardiola reminded everyone that the ideal scenario doesn’t exist in football. He added: “I said last season it would not be easy to win four in a row. This is the challenge. Every season there is difficulty, we had injuries in the past like we had last season unfortunately with Rodri. It is what it is. The perfect scenario never exists in sport.”
How champions overcome adversity often defines them. That rings true for Manchester City. They have faced adversity and the loss of key players on their road to winning 6 of the past 7 Premier League titles and a host of other trophies along the way. If they can overcome the loss of 6 key players over the coming weeks it may be a period looked back upon as a period that laid the foundation for what lies ahead this season. That challenge starts today at home against Southampton. If Manchester City can pick up another three points today they’ll be well placed for the tough fixtures that lie ahead.
