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Pep Guardiola declined to engage in a public dispute with Arne Slot regarding squad depth following the Liverpool head coach's recent remarks about Manchester City.
Slot made sweeping changes for Liverpool's Carabao Cup fixture against Crystal Palace, selecting a youthful XI and a bench that featured no first-team players as the Reds suffered a comprehensive 3-0 defeat to the Eagles.
Following the match, the Anfield boss suggested that City - alongside Chelsea - possesses greater squad depth than Liverpool, despite a summer transfer window that saw the Reds twice shatter the British transfer record in a spending spree of more than $500 million.
Speaking after the midweek loss, Slot said: "Before I went out I saw City's line-up and I don't think they had one starter from the weekend, but it felt as if you looked at their line-up that they played with 11 starters.
"Maybe it also gives a little bit of insight that everybody has always said how big of a squad we are having.
"When we played Chelsea, I said they are missing eight but they can still bring Estevao in.
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"We are only missing four players at the moment and already we needed to start with four players under the age of 19 and after I made two substitutions we were on six."
City made 10 alterations for their Carabao Cup encounter, with Oscar Bobb the only player retained from the Premier League clash at Aston Villa. Guardiola included emerging talent Divine Mukasa in his starting line-up, though the remainder of the team consisted of experienced professionals.
City overturned a one-goal deficit at Swansea to secure a 3-1 victory and book their place in the quarter-finals.
When questioned about squad depth and Slot's remarks on Friday before his side's Premier League game against Bournemouth, Guardiola responded: "We don't have injuries. It's the same squad depth as last season. Right now we have less injuries but the depth is similar to last season.
"You will not have my headlines, I'm sorry."
Slot himself retracted his midweek comments during his own press conference on Friday, ahead of Liverpool's Premier League clash with Aston Villa.
"We miss nothing," Slot commented on his squad depth. "I am completely happy with the team and with all the quality that we have."
* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can read the original story in the Manchester Evening News by clicking here.
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