Reduce Squad Size Or I'll Quit - Guardiola

Pep Guardiola has said he will discontinue arsenic head of Manchester City if he is fixed a large squad to prime from aft nan summertime transportation market.

A number of Man City's elder players were not included successful nan squad for Tuesday's 3-1 triumph against Bournemouth and Guardiola says he is unhappy astatine leaving truthful galore players out.

Abdukodir Khusanov, Savinho, James McAtee, Claudio Echeverri and Rico Lewis each missed retired connected Tuesday's 20-man matchday squad arsenic City moved to 3rd successful nan Premier League and wrong a constituent of Champions League qualification.

But, contempt this showing nan extent Guardiola has astatine his disposal, nan Spaniard wants to activity pinch a smaller squad.

He said: "I said to nan nine I don't want that [a bigger squad]. I don't want to time off 5 aliases six players successful nan freezer. I don't want that. I will quit. Make a shorter squad, I will stay."

Guardiola says it is "impossible for my soul" to time off players watching from nan stands.

"Maybe [for] three, 4 months we couldn't prime 11 players, we didn't person defenders, it was truthful difficult. After group travel backmost but adjacent play it cannot beryllium for illustration that," nan 54-year-old added.

"As a head I cannot train 24 players and each clip I prime I person to person four, five, six enactment successful Manchester astatine location because they cannot play. This is not going to happen. I said to nan club. I don't want that."

City spent much than £200m connected 4 players successful January aft suffering a number of cardinal injuries. Kevin De Bruyne is 1 of those players who will decidedly depart successful nan summer, while nan early of Jack Grealish is successful doubt.

When asked if it meant much exits were inevitable, Guardiola - who signed a deal keeping him astatine nan nine until 2027 - said: "It is simply a mobility for nan club. I don't want to person 24, 25, 26 players erstwhile everyone is fit. If I person injuries, unlucky, we person immoderate players for nan academy and we do it.

Guardiola said a large squad is unstainable and that it is important for "the psyche of nan team" that his players "create different relationship pinch each different that this play we mislaid it a bit".