Reduce squad size or I'll quit - Guardiola

Pep Guardiola has said helium volition discontinue arsenic manager of Manchester City if helium is fixed a large squad to prime from aft the summertime transportation market.

A fig of Man City's elder players were not included successful the squad for Tuesday's 3-1 triumph against Bournemouth and Guardiola says helium 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 the Premier League and wrong a constituent of Champions League qualification.

But, contempt this showing the extent Guardiola has astatine his disposal, the Spaniard wants to enactment with a smaller squad.

He said: "I said to the nine I don't privation that [a bigger squad]. I don't privation to permission 5 oregon six players successful the freezer. I don't privation that. I volition quit. Make a shorter squad, I volition stay."

Guardiola says it is "impossible for my soul" to permission players watching from the stands.

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

"As a manager I cannot bid 24 players and each clip I prime I person to person four, five, six enactment successful Manchester astatine location due to the fact that they cannot play. This is not going to happen. I said to the club. I don't privation that."

City spent much than £200m connected 4 players successful January aft suffering a fig of cardinal injuries. Kevin De Bruyne is 1 of those players who volition decidedly depart successful the summer, portion the aboriginal of Jack Grealish is successful doubt.

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

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