Angry Pep blames Asia trips and bad pitches for serious injuries in the league
Reading Time: 3min | Wed. 16.08.23. | 12:29
Apart from De Bruyne, a high number of other players have serious injuries too
Erling Haaland may be the biggest Manchester City acquisition in recent years, and he may be the club’s top goalscorer, but overall, Kevin De Bruyne is THE guy in this team. Captain, goalscorer, top assist man...and now the current England and Europe champion will have to play without him for the remained of the year (at least). In a number of games already played, even thou it’s only the middle of August, the Citizens must add another one – tonight’s UEFA Super Cup against Europa League winner Seville. Even thou it’s a match which the English team is looking forward to (since it means they have won the Champions League), the main theme of the press conference was De Bruyne’s injury.
Pep “We don’t play in the same conditions as the other teams Premier League because we play much more.”
— The Pep (@GuardiolaTweets) August 10, 2023
“We play Newcastle two days after playing Sevilla in Super cup”
“If they invite us to UEFA meetings I can’t go because I’m busy”
“UEFA don’t listen”
pic.twitter.com/1bBjBzSZM6
And it was the possibility for coach Pep Guardiola to once again vent his anger at the increased number of injuries to his other’s team’s players too. Chelsea's Christopher Nkunku had to undergo knee surgery, Arsenal's Jurrien Timber and Aston Villa duo Tyrone Mings and Emi Buendia have all reportedly suffered anterior cruciate ligament injuries, not to mention Eder Militao and Thibaut Courtois from Real Madrid.
"We have four important casualties. Look how many injured players there have been at the start of the season. The people have not had a rest. In my first pre-season with Barcelona we had 25 days of preparation before the first game, which was a Champions League qualifier. This season we had four or five before the first game. Look at all the cruciate ligament injuries there have been in all the big leagues this start of the season. The players don't rest either physically or mentally. They make them travel to Asia or America for the club's purposes and play really hard games on bad pitches and the players get injured, or will get injured, because they don't have these 25 days to prepare" he said.
Yet, even thou he is facing in-form Newcastle just days after this game, the Spanish tactician is more than happy to play in this game.
“To be here it means that you have to win the CL or EL. It's not easy. Maybe for Sevilla is easier because they won a lot of Europa Leagues. They are a team when they play good they win. Their have character and resilience. They have something that makes this club. I have the feeling it makes them more dangerous against us. You cannot imagine how happy we are to play this game because it means we have won the Champions League. We have to take this opportunity, who knows when we are back“ he said.
