Man City overhaul started sooner than expected: Guardiola

LONDON: Pep Guardiola has admitted Manchester City´s injury woes and dismal form this season forced the club to start an overhaul of his squad sooner than expected.

After winning the Premier League six times in the past seven seasons, City´s bid for a fifth successive title has crumbled in shocking fashion. Instead of chasing yet more glory in the title race, Guardiola´s side will host Chelsea on Saturday locked in a desperate battle just to qualify for next season´s Champions League. City´s astonishing decline has prompted Guardiola and the club´s hierarchy to launch a comprehensive rebuild of his team in a bid to get back on track.

Normally cautious spenders in the January transfer window, City have signed Uzbekistan defender Abdukodir Khusanov from Lens, teenaged Brazilian defender Vitor Reis from Palmeiras and Egypt forward Omar Marmoush from Eintracht Frankfurt. That trio cost around £123 million ($152 million) in combined transfer fees and opened the door for unsettled City right-back Kyle Walker´s imminent loan move to AC Milan.

“Last season, we didn´t do much (in the transfer market) with the exceptional qualities of this team,” Guardiola told reporters on Friday. “Normally we would wait three of four months, but we decided to do it here with the amount of injuries and problems we have. “They will make us strong and I´m pretty sure that the club decided for these prospective players for the future and many years.”

With City hampered by fresh injuries to Ruben Dias and Jeremy Doku, Guardiola said Marmoush, Khusanov and Reis would be available for Chelsea´s visit to the Etihad Stadium. Guardiola said Marmoush, who will bolster City´s attacking options, has an “exceptional future”. He added: “Vitor is young, a huge personality, but he needs time. He is here with us. Of course he can start with the situations we have at the back. He comes for many years, not just for now.