Pep Guardiola has been left frustrated by the unreliability of some of his Manchester City defenders to play games due to repeated injuries.
After signing Manuel Akanji on deadline day of the summer transfer window, City now have five senior centre-backs at their disposal but have rarely, if ever, had the full complement available this season. Aymeric Laporte has only just returned to the team in recent weeks after undergoing surgery in May to fix an issue he bravely played through the pain of towards the end of the last campaign.
Nathan Ake has continued to have his own injury troubles as well while John Stones remains sidelined with a hamstring injury and is still at least a week away from returning to the fold. Additionally, Kyle Walker is now on the injury list with a groin problem that required surgery.
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Ahead of Sunday's clash with old foes Liverpool, Guardiola was asked about how happy he is to have five options at the heart of the defence and bemoaned the club's luck on the injury front in response. "We are lucky," he said before checking himself. "We were lucky.
"Right now Stones isn't available for already a few weeks. In this tight competition, World Cup, no rest. In some positions, you have to take a look at the players how reliable he is to play every three days or injured injured injured.
"We have two that is like that and other ones more reliable. That's why you have to depend on how they fit. I'm a big fan to rotate and everyone be involved, not a big fan for just play 11 players.
"The physicality almost impossible to control but everyone has to be involved and feel something. Sometimes I prefer don't win games or competitions when everyone is involved. After depends on players, I don't play all the games, I don't feel part of that - that is your problem. Everyone has a chance to play 5 minutes, 10 minutes 90 minutes want everyone involved."
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