(Refiles changing “for” to “from” in headline)
MANCHESTER, England : The push for a more favourable match schedule must come from the players, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said on Friday, three days after his midfielder Rodri warned that players could be close to strike action over their increased workload.
Guardiola’s comments on Friday came ahead of his side’s clash with Arsenal on Sunday and amid a tough stretch of seven games in three weeks for the reigning Premier League champions.
“Many, many voices are talking about it,” Guardiola told reporters. “If something is going to change, it must come from the players. The business can be without managers, without sporting directors, without media, without owners, but without the players – cannot be played.
“It is not just Rodri (speaking out), it is many, many players, and not just in this country, but around the world people are starting to talk, so we will see.”
Guardiola was non-committal about whether Kevin de Bruyne will play on Sunday after his captain limped off at halftime of their 0-0 draw with Inter Milan in the Champions League on Wednesday, and did not play the second half.
“He feels a bit better today. Tomorrow we’re training and we’ll see. He could be (involved),” the manager said.
Sunday’s mouth-watering clash features the league champions and the runners-up from the past two seasons. Both are unbeaten so far and coming off midweek Champions League draws. City top the league after four games as the only team with a 100 per cent record.
“Every season they (Arsenal) get stronger, the depth of the squad. Even season is even better and better,” Guardiola said.
Asked about Arsenal’s development, the City boss said that was a question better posed to manager Mikel Arteta.
“Because if I say something they’ll say I was playing mind games or something like that,” Guardiola said. “I’ve always had a high opinion of him and his team. Both years have been close but we have been so strong as well, and still we are wrong.
“It’s always been a tight game, in the last few years,” he added. “I think we are a good team but they’re good too. They do many good things, they’re a complete team, which is why they’ve been our biggest rivals in the last two seasons.”
City have 12 points at the top of the standings, two ahead of Arsenal, but Guardiola said Sunday’s clash this early in the season is “not really important” in terms of determining the title.
“It’ll be important when we go to London in the second half of the season,” he said.
City will travel to play Arsenal again on Feb. 1.
