Man City in middle of injury crisis with just 15 fit players for Hoffenheim clash

PEP GUARDIOLA says Manchester City have only 15 senior players fit for their Champions League clash against Hoffenheim.

David Silva and Fernandinho are the latest to be sidelined in an ever-growing list that includes Sergio Aguero, Kevin De Bruyne, , Benjamin Mendy and Claudio Bravo.

Oleksandar Zinchenko has also been out in recent weeks.

And it is the second bitter blow in a week for the Spaniard – after the Citizens suffered their first Premier League defeat to Chelsea on Sunday.

Nevertheless, Guardiola’s men have already qualified to the knockout stages – and need just a point to top Group F.

Speaking ahead of the clash, he said: “We have 15 players available so I cannot do too much.

“We are going into a really tough game. We are in the next stage and that’s important but we want to go through finishing first. Every game we try to win.

“If you finish first or second the last 16 is tough but to play at home (in the second leg) is a small advantage.”

Playmaker Silva was substituted at Stamford Bridge with a hamstring injury and faces “a few weeks” out.

However, City’s main marksman Aguero could return to face Everton on Saturday.

At the pre-match press conference Guardiola was bombarded by questions about the racist abuse to Raheem Sterling.

But the former Barca chief made no comment about Fernandinho’s injury.

He mainly stressed that he hopes his side can learn from the Blues defeat.

He said: “The day after we trained, a bit more sad than normal, but that’s normal when we lose.

“But unusual is not to lose a game – what’s unusual is what we have done in the last 15 or 16 months. That’s not normal, the amount of games we won and the few games we lost.

“But I have no argument with the way we lost. I don’t have anything negative to say to my players.

“Against good teams that can happen. If you make mistakes against good teams, Champions League teams, Chelsea, always you concede. It’s part of the process and we have to learn.”

Tricky winger Leroy Sane feels the team will be determined to bounce back.

The German said: “Now every one is really motivated. Now we are not first, we are second and we want to go back on the top and be in front of Liverpool. This is our target.”

The forward has been in fine form in recent weeks after recovering from the frustrations of being dropped for the World Cup and a slow start to the campaign.

He said: “At the beginning, I wasn’t playing that much. I had to find back the way I play.

“Now I think I have found I am on the way back to being in good form and I have to try keeping going on with it.”

Sane, whose contract expires in 2021, is currently in discussions over a new deal.

The 22-year-old said: “I enjoy playing a lot with the coach, with the players. They are all amazing and, most important, they are all amazing people.

“I feel really at home here from day one and of course it (staying longer) is possible.”