Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has identified the return of injured players as crucial to overcoming the team's current struggles. Following a 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa, their ninth loss in twelve matches, City has dropped to sixth place in the Premier League standings, with the potential to fall even further.

The Impact of Injuries

Guardiola emphasized the challenges posed by a depleted squad:

"The solution is to get the players back. Right now, we only have one fit center-back, and that makes everything much harder. We’ll try again in the next game; we can’t think much further ahead than that."

He also acknowledged that the team’s performance has been lacking in both attack and defense:

"We’re conceding goals that we didn’t before, and we’re not scoring goals that we used to. Football isn’t about just one reason; there are many factors."

Praise for Aston Villa and Confidence in His Team

Guardiola gave credit to Aston Villa, a side performing well in both the Champions League and the domestic league:

"Aston Villa are doing well. This is not an easy stadium to come to. Last season, we won the Premier League, but we lost here."

Despite the ongoing crisis, Guardiola expressed unwavering faith in his players:

"We need to stay positive, and I have great trust in these guys. We have to find a way, step by step, and sooner or later, we’ll be back."