Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has encouraged his players to draw inspiration from tennis legend Rafael Nadal, urging them to play through the pain.
The injury-stricken defending champions will be missing nine of their first-team players in their upcoming Premier League match against Bournemouth. Ballon d’Or winner Rodri, Oscar Bobb, and Kevin De Bruyne have long-term injuries, while Savinho, Manuel Akanji, and Josko Gvardiol picked up issues during the midweek Carabao Cup defeat to Tottenham. Guardiola had previously ruled Jeremy Doku, Jack Grealish, and Kyle Walker out until after the international break.
“There are moments when injuries are serious and require caution, but sometimes, if you have minor problems, you have to play,” Guardiola told reporters.
“Rafa Nadal played his entire career with pain. He played and won—I don’t know how many Grand Slams.
“In modern football, you have to handle these situations, or it’s impossible to sustain playing every three days at a top club. We’ll adapt tomorrow and in the games ahead.
“We have an incredible group of players with a strong mentality, even in tough times. This week is very important.”
When asked how much the available players could be pushed, Guardiola said: “They’re used to playing with some pain. It could be minor niggles—today, almost all players play with pain.”
Guardiola also provided a fitness update on Kevin De Bruyne: “He’s getting better. The last two or three days, the doctor told me he made progress in terms of pain management.”
