PABLO ZABALETA admits a number of Manchester City’s stars are facing the exit door.
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| Pablo Zabaleta has featured in just four Premier League games for Manchester City this season |
Pep Guardiola’s arrival as manager this summer is likely to spark the departures of a number of players, including Yaya Toure, Samir Nasri, Martin Demichelis, Zabaleta himself and Aleksander Kolarov.
City’s dismal performance in the top of the table clash with against Leicester confirmed that their squad needs freshening up, with their ageing back four a particular concern. Midfielder Toure was hauled off early in the second half after struggling with Leicester's high-intensity midfield play.
But Zabaleta - who has been linked along with Toure with a move to Inter Milan and a re-union with former City boss Roberto Mancini - says the players cannot allow the uncertainty over their futures to undermine the club’s quadruple bid.
And the Argentina international insists they are desperate to give Manuel Pellegrini a glittering send off.
He said: “We’ll see what happens at the end of the season with the new manager coming in. We suspect changes but that’s normal and now is not the right time to talk about the future because there is a lot of time for that.
“We need to deal with it [the Guardiola appointment]. The club decided to announce this now after so many rumours and we really understand this.
“Now it's just time to finish in the best way we can this season. We are all behind Manuel. He's been great for this football club. Nothing has changed with him. He’s just continuing the way he has done for the last two years.”
City have failed to beat any team in the current top six this season – they have had three draws against neighbours United, Leicester and West Ham and four defeats to Tottenham, Arsenal, West Ham and Leicester.
And their hopes of getting back on the winning track against Spurs on Sunday will be hit by the absence of David Silva who limped off with a twisted ankle against Leicester.
Playmaker Silva joins a list of seven casualties although City might be tempted to rush back skipper Vincent Kompany – whoi is back in training - after the horror show defensive show against Leicester.
Robert Huth twice out-muscled veteran Demichelis for his goals while four defenders, including the hapless Demichelis, failed to stop Rihad Mahrez’s breakaway goal. Sergio Aguero was well-shackled for most of the game and his late header was hardly a consolation for City.
Demichelis, 35, is out of contract this summer and is expected to return to his native Argentina to finish his career. Former Lazio defender Kolarov is likely to head back to Italy while former Marseille and Arsenal star Nasri, who has missed most of the seaosn with injury, could return to France.
Zabaleta admitted Leicester were the better side and City have to pick themselves up quickly for their clash with in-form Spurs who beat them 4-1 at White Hart Lane back in September.
“We’re obviously disappointed with the result but we must give credit to Leicester, I think they were a really solid team. they deserve the three points.
“They took their chances, they scored early goals in both halves and it was difficult to score goals against them because they are a team that defend really really well, they are very solid at the back, they don’t give too much space and then they are very fast on the counter attack.”
Zabaleta said injuries are not helping with City involved in four competitions and facing a huge fixture list.
Following their early exits from the two domestic cup comeptitions, Leicester will play only 43 games this season - City will play a minimum of 55, if they go out at the next stage of the FA Cup and Champions League.
“It’s been a very difficult season in terms of injuries,” he said. “And obviously now it’s a period with big games coming up, so of course you need your whole squad fit, your best players in their best form.
“The next three months will be crucial for this team because we are playing in four competitions at the moment.
“I know it’s really hard but now all we can do is to be focused on another huge game against Spurs. At least we have a long week now to rest. In the last 10 days we’ve played two more games than Leicester and obviously in the way we are playing at the moment it’s hard.
“But we need to accept that we are Manchester City, we aspire to win as many trophies as we can and we’ll see at the end of the season.
“Leicester was a crucial game to try to get three points and be on top of the league. We’re six points behind them now but there’s still a long way to go. In this league you cannot give up so early, we need to keep working hard and just try to be back in our best form to win the games.
“We have the Champions League coming up as well so we need to reach our best form again and obviously to do that you need your best players playing their best football.”
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