Manchester City have just 13 first-team players as Premier League champs gripped by injury crisis

Pep Guardiola claimed Manchester City were in trouble after they suffered further injuries in a 2-1 loss to Tottenham in the Carabao Cup. Ahead of kick-off, defender Manuel Akanji was withdrawn and Brazilian winger Savinho left the pitch on a stretcher in the second half.

The pair join Ballon d’Or winner Rordi, plus Kyle Walker, Oscar Bobb, Jeremy Doku, Kevin De Bruyne and Jack Grealish on the club’s injury list.

Speaking after the game, Guardiola said: “We have 13 players so we are in real difficulty. The guys that play, they finish most of them with problems and we’ll see how they recover.

“I think when we are in trouble, like we are because in nine years it never happen this situation with many, many injuries for many, many reasons, in these situations, the players they make a step forward and they are more together than ever and they will try to do this week in this short time to recover.

“It’s tough. Akanji yesterday, I didn’t know it, in the last action felt something in the muscular part of his body and today in the warm-up he didn’t feel good. He said he could take a risk and I said no, no risk.

“Ruben [Dias] is struggling sometimes as well in some moments. It’s been getting more difficult game by game, but maybe one day we will arrive altogether. That’s why the guys who are here and making an effort to be with us, fighting to be with us and playing with pain and focus for us, these guys I will not forget it.”