Michael Plant explains why Manchester City's lack of squad depth could be an issue for Pep Guardiola this season.
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00:00Manchester City returned to Premier League action this weekend when they take on Wolves at Molineux following the two-week international break.
00:07Now, one of the biggest talking points surrounding City, certainly on the pitch anyway, before the international break was their defensive record
00:14because City were conceding an awful lot of shots and they were very fortunate to only concede two goals against Fulham in that last game.
00:20They also have only kept one clean sheet this season, so that was a big talking point ahead of the international break.
00:26But I think one of the forgotten points, perhaps, in that win over Fulham was the fact that City only managed to name a substitute bench of eight players.
00:34Of course, you can select up to nine players on the bench, which 99% of the time teams tend to do, of course.
00:40But City also, as well as name just eight players, they named two goalkeepers on the bench, so there were just six outfield options for Pep Guardiola to choose from.
00:48Now, that is a bit of a concern, and I think that, for a bit of context, the under-21s and the under-18s were both playing that day.
00:54So I think if they weren't, City would certainly have been able to call on a few more options.
00:57In particular, Nico O'Reilly probably would have stepped up, perhaps Jacob Wright, sorry, and Jadon Heskey as well are all options who have been in and around the first-team squad this season.
01:07But I do think that it does just underline that there is a little bit of an issue there in terms of squad depth for Pep Guardiola's side.
01:13Now, the City boss has regularly spoken about the fact that he prefers to work with a smaller squad.
01:17He says that the moment you start having a bigger squad and players aren't playing, then it leads to players being unhappy and can affect the mood and the morale around the camp.
01:25So that's been one of the things that he has stressed over the last couple of years.
01:28And look, you can't argue with Pep Guardiola's record.
01:31Ultimately, the silverware backs up anything that he says, and he's proven to be correct time and time again.
01:37But I do think that this has been an issue that has popped up a couple of times over the last few years.
01:42I remember the end of the 2021-22 season, it was a bit of a concern because City, they certainly limped over the line that campaign.
01:49They finished the season with four major defensive injuries, the Kyle Walker, John Stones, Ruben Diaz and Nathan Ake.
01:56And they managed to just about patch up a back four to play in those games, which featured Fernandinho at centre-back.
02:01And actually, famously, he was taken off half-time in the 3-2 win over Aston Villa on the final day of that season with the Gundogan goals.
02:09But it was, I suppose, an admission for Guardiola that on that occasion, it wasn't really working.
02:14Aymeric Laporte had to play through the pain barrier a little bit in the latter stages of that season.
02:18And ultimately, he required surgery and a knee injury at the start of the next season.
02:21And his City career never really came back.
02:23There was also an issue last season in March 2023 when City picked up about seven or eight injuries over an international break.
02:30Sorry, November 2023, I should have said that they had these injuries.
02:35Now, ultimately, actually, quite a few of them managed to recover and it wasn't an issue.
02:38But I do think it's a problem for City, particularly this season.
02:41We've spoken about the mammoth campaign this is going to be.
02:44Potentially 48 weeks for City this season.
02:46They've got so many games to play across so many competitions.
02:49Pep Guardiola is already talking about the fact that he is probably not going to name a first-team squad to take on Spurs in the Carabao Cup.
02:57So it is a real concern for City, I think.
02:59Just the toll that it's taken on their players.
03:02We've, of course, already seen two pretty significant injuries.
03:05One to Rodri, one to Oscar Bob.
03:07Rodri's not going to play again this season.
03:08Oscar Bob's out until the new year.
03:10So it does leave City's squad really light on numbers at the moment.
03:13And I just wonder whether Guardiola is already starting to look at the January market and think whether he will strengthen.
03:19I mean, you consider, for instance, as an example, City have only got one centre forward in Erling Haaland.
03:23That's something that Guardiola himself referenced in August and said, look, we might have to turn to the transfer market to make some additions in that area.
03:29He said it may well be a mistake.
03:31So that's one area.
03:33I mean, you consider that in City's website, they list eight defenders.
03:36One of whom is Josh Wilson-Esper.
03:39He hasn't played a minute for nearly three years now for City.
03:42The other one is Rico.
03:43One of the others is Rico Lewis, who plays a lot on midfield.
03:46That leaves you with six defenders, really, to choose from.
03:48So it is a concern.
03:49They've got a lot of midfield options.
03:50But I do think that there is a little bit of a concern about the number of players that City have on their books.
03:56And, you know, they only have, I mentioned those two long-term injuries to Rodri and Oscar Bob.
04:00They only had two others for that full-on game.
04:02Nathan Ake and Kevin O'Brien.
04:04Now, they're both back.
04:05Hopefully for the Wolves game.
04:07We'll have to see when Pep Guardiola addresses the press on Friday.
04:10But he did say the last time we spoke to him that he's expecting them both to be back.
04:13So that's a boost.
04:14And obviously that will increase his numbers.
04:16But it's still, they're only still really just about managing to fill the full bench.
04:20They're not having any players in reserve.
04:22And there will be plenty more knocks and niggles throughout the season.
04:25And that, it just is a problem that I think that Guardiola is going to have to address.
04:30And I don't know.
04:31I think it could prove decisive if City perhaps don't make a few more additions in the January window.
04:36Or if they do have a number of big injuries.
04:38And they have been fortunate in the last couple of years not to have too many big injuries.
04:41Kevin O'Brien was obviously one last season.
04:43Haaland was out for a little bit.
04:45But by and large over the last couple of years have avoided having too many injuries.
04:48Guardiola is, you know, a master when it comes to maintaining his squad.
04:51And ensuring they don't pick up too many knocks.
04:53But yeah, as I say, I do think it's something that is going to have to probably be spoken about a little bit more.
04:58Amongst City fans.
04:59And there's probably an only increasing spotlight on that particular issue.