Pep Guardiola believes his Manchester City squad is good enough to play up to the lofty standards the Sky Blues have set for themselves over the past several years, but he admitted that injuries may hasten the need to seek fortification during the upcoming transfer window.
The Sky Blues have been on a run of poor form unprecedented in the Guardiola era, with the once-feared club outside the top four of the Premier League and well down the table in the Champions League.
And while City managed to end 2024 on a high note by defeating Leicester and ending their nine-match Premier League winless streak, Guardiola acknowledged that the short term still looks tricky for the club amid continuing injury woes.
Even with talisman Kevin de Bruyne back to 90-minute form following multiple injuries over the past 12 months, Guardiola says the team may need reinforcements when the transfer window opens next week.
"Kevin is back but we need more in the middle and the back four, we have struggled with full-backs and central defenders," the Man City manager told Sky Sports immediately after their win at Leicester on Sunday. "In some positions we need help.
"The squad is good, the problem is we don't have the squad [available] and that makes everything difficult. When we're all together we're the team we were but with important players out for weeks and months it's so difficult.
"I thought the central defenders would be fit all season but we have struggled - holding midfield and central defenders we need help. The market is the market, it's not easy, it's expensive so we will see what the club can do."
How to watch National League football on DAZN
Football fans worldwide can watch the 2024-25 National League season with a National League TV DAZN subscription.
Every game in the National League, and selected matches in National League North and National League South, is available on DAZN. That's over 600 games to watch live or on demand catch-up, all in one place.
NLTV on DAZN is available on any device, including Smart TV’s, mobile devices, tablets, streaming devices, games consoles, and, for viewers in the UK, your Sky box.
For more information and to sign up, head here now.
What else do you get with a DAZN account?
Having a DAZN account also gets you access to action across the UEFA Women's Champions League, NFL, PDC Darts, LIV Golf, Super League Basketball and Saudi Pro League.
Free TV Channels include Matchroom Boxing, PGA Tour, PDC Darts, PowerSports World, Billiard TV and Padel Time TV.
How much does it cost to watch the National League?
Watching the National League on DAZN comes with plenty of flexible options.
This includes a weekly pass, if you just want to watch certain key matches. Or monthly and annual subscriptions to get access to all 600 games across the three divisions.
| Plan | What is included | Price |
| Weekly Pass |
| £9.99 |
| Monthly Flex |
| £24.99 per month |
|
Annual (pay upfront) |
| £189.99 one-off annual payment |
| Annual (pay monthly) |
| £18.99 per month |