Manager Pep Guardiola would rather not use injuries as an excuse, but Manchester City’s injury crisis proved expensive as the champions’ 32-game unbeaten Premier League run came to an unexpected end on Saturday with a 2-1 loss at Bournemouth.
After the loss, City fell to second place, two points behind Liverpool, who overcame Brighton & Hove Albion to win 2-1.
The result followed City’s League Cup fourth-round loss to Tottenham Hotspur in the middle of the week.
“I don’t know what would have happened. I would like to tell you if these players (weren’t injured), we would have won, but nobody knows,” Guardiola said. “
The guys give everything, but not enough to compete against that team in that moment.”
Guardiola stated on Friday that he had encouraged his players to go through injury “like Rafael Nadal” and that he was concerned that he might only have 11 senior players available for the match against Bournemouth.
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In his pregame interview, Guardiola stated that Ruben Dias and John Stones were also “ruled out for a little bit of long time.”
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City was already without Oscar Bobb, Rodri, and Jack Grealish.
While Kevin De Bruyne returned to the bench following a protracted injury absence, captain Kyle Walker was among several players who had not been anticipated to play yet started on Saturday.
“Kyle in 16 days didn’t train one session with us, made an incredible effort,” Guardiola said, adding that several other players had “niggles.”
“(But) it’s not just about that,” the City boss added. “They (Bournemouth) were difficult to play in the first half, the second half we were much better.”
Walker said if City had been fortunate enough to have more healthy bodies, several ailing players might have been rested.
“Probably ideally, but we’re not in that position,” he said. “We don’t use that as an excuse, you have to give full credit to Bournemouth.”
With a Champions League match against Sporting in Lisbon on Tuesday, City won’t have much time to recuperate.
“It’s the schedule that we’ve been dealt, no excuses,” Walker added.
When Bournemouth defeated City for the first time in the south coast team’s history, Cherries supporters at the Vitality Stadium sarcastically chanted, “Can we play you every week?”
“I’m very pleased, one thing is to beat City but another is to play better,” Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola said. “We played with no fear, tried to press when we could and defend when we had to.
“You know you have to be at your best level (to beat a top team) and wait for them to not have their best day.”
