Pep: I have to find a way though this

KEVIN De Bruyne has stepped up his recovery from injury in a boost to City's midfield options, but Pep Guardiola insists his side's drop in form is not down to the key midfielders he is missing

- JOE BRAY

De Bruyne hasn't featured since City's opening-day win at Burnley, while Rodri served a one-game suspension at Aston Villa as the Blues lost their third Premier League match of the campaign. In fact, City's four defeats in all competitions this season have all come when Rodri has been suspended, with their last five defeats all coinciding with Rodri's absence.

But Guardiola insisted that he takes responsibility for how City play without their key men, and that defeat at Aston Villa was not simply because Rodri didn't play.

Regarding De Bruyne, who has been included in the Club World Cup squad but is not expected to play, Guardiola said: "I think he starts to run on the pitch but he didn't train once with us. The World Cup is in two or three weeks, so I don't know. Maybe it's a little bit early, but I don't know.