Source reveals mood inside Manchester City as ‘lengthy debrief’ takes place and players have their ‘heads down’ | OneFootball

A new report has offered an inside look into the ongoing situation within Manchester City as the club comes to terms with three successive defeats and injury struggles.

Pep Guardiola and his coaching staff are battling to come to terms with a number of injury problems within the first-team squad, and the obvious challenge of sourcing a suitable tactical solution to the absence of Rodri for the rest of the campaign.

Those problems coupled together, along with growing fatigue and an unrelenting fixture schedule, have culminated in three successive defeats across competitions in the last three matches, with a visit to Brighton & Hove Albion up next in the Premier League.

Pep Guardiola has played down concerns over the last few results, insisting that the strong performance at Tottenham was to be commended, whilst the first-half showing at Sporting could have painted a very different picture had City have taken their chances in the game.

But a new report this week has revealed the growing feeling within the club when it comes to fatigue within the first-team squad, and the attempts that are being made to try and revive their form right before the international break.

As quoted within a wide-ranging report issued by MailSport’s Jack Gaughan, one Manchester City club source admitted earlier this week, “Everyone looks pretty tired,” as Pep Guardiola’s side slumped to a hugely disappointing 4-1 defeat at Sporting in Lisbon.

It is further revealed by Gaughan that a team meeting, described as a ‘lengthy debrief’, took place back at the City Football Academy training ground on Sunday after the 2-1 defeat against Bournemouth in the Premier League, when ‘views about performances were aired’.

The same report also details that ‘some senior players’ are said to have ‘had their heads down’ when at the training ground in recent weeks after scares against Fulham and Wolves, despite both games ending in victories, and the hard work made of beating Southampton 1-0 at home.

Manchester City’s fixtures are not set to ease in difficulty any time soon, and either side of the upcoming November international break, Pep Guardiola’s side face nine hugely challenging fixtures across competitions.

The current block of fixtures will close with Manchester City making another trip to the south coast on Saturday evening as they take on Fabian Hurzeler’s Brighton & Hove Albion, with Premier League football resuming with a home clash against Tottenham after the break.

Feyenoord will then become Manchester City’s next UEFA Champions League opponents on matchday five at the Etihad Stadium, before a run of Premier League fixtures against Liverpool at Anfield, Nottingham Forest at home, and Crystal Palace away precede a trip to Juventus.

The first Premier League meeting with Ruben Amorim as Manchester United manager is then scheduled for December, with a trip to face Aston Villa at Villa Park following immediately afterwards.