Pep Guardiola has acknowledged that Manchester City may struggle to navigate their growing injury crisis but urged the English champions to rally for Tuesday's Champions League match against Sporting Lisbon.
City heads to Portugal after back-to-back losses—first to Tottenham in the League Cup and then to Bournemouth in the Premier League, which ended their 11-month unbeaten run. Leading the list of sidelined players is Ballon d'Or winner Rodri, out for the season with a knee injury, alongside key figures like Oscar Bobb, Ruben Dias, Jack Grealish, and John Stones. Although Kevin De Bruyne may return after seven weeks, he is unlikely to start, while Kyle Walker, Nathan Ake, Manuel Akanji, Jeremy Doku, and Savinho remain in doubt.
"We know the situation with Rodri, named the best player in the world," Guardiola said at Monday’s pre-match press conference. "We know we will struggle, and we have to accept that, and it is fine. The games will be difficult; in previous seasons it was smooth. Things change, and we have to adapt."
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This fixture will see Guardiola face future Premier League rival Ruben Amorim, who is leading Sporting for one of his last matches before taking over at Manchester United. City last played Sporting in the Champions League Round of 16 in 2021/22, securing a decisive 5-0 win in Lisbon.
"They have the same manager and the same mentality," Guardiola remarked on Sporting’s consistency. "Winning the league after 20 years and again last season shows the quality of his work."
Reflecting on the team’s mindset, Bernardo Silva, who scored twice in the previous 5-0 victory against Sporting, urged City to avoid using injuries as an excuse.
"With a full squad, we're stronger, no doubt about that," Silva said. "We've missed Kevin for six weeks, Rodri for the season, and others here and there. But this club never makes excuses. That’s not who we are."
Both teams currently sit undefeated in the Champions League, each with seven points from three matches.
