According to Danny Mills, Manchester City still has a stronger squad than title rivals Liverpool despite the many layoffs due to injuries.
Reigning champions City have lost their last four games in all competitions – the first time this has happened in Guardiola's illustrious managerial career – and are five points behind leaders Liverpool.
Recently crowned Ballon d'Or winner Rodri tops City's list of absentees, which also includes Oscar Bobb, Ruben Dias, John Stones, Manuel Akanji, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, Jeremy Doku and Nathan Ake.
While former City full-back Mills believes Pep Guardiola still has the best selection of players to choose from in the division, he wonders if the club could do more to prevent the injuries.
“I think you can look at the injuries and say City still have the strongest squad in the world, without a doubt,” Mills told Stats Perform. “There are two internationals for each position on the field.
“There is a part of me that thinks: if you have so many injuries, you have to look at why you have so many injuries. Are they all freak accidents?
“Are they all impact injuries where you had no choice? Are they muscle injuries where you might have to look at training? So there are many factors you have to look at.
“Is the training too difficult? Are the players playing too many matches? Is there not enough rotation within the team? What does recovery look like?
“You can't just say, 'Oh, we're unlucky, we've got injuries.' Generally, there are reasons why you get injured. You always get two or three strange injuries that you can't do absolutely anything about. But you also have to looking inward and managing those situations.”
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City have successfully played matches in the past without the likes of Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne, both of whom are now fit again, but coping without retaining midfielder Rodri is proving a more difficult task.
Guardiola's side have won 28 of 36 games with Rodri in the squad since the start of last season and lost none, while they have lost five of their 13 matches without the Spain international.
That win rate dropping from 77.8% with Rodri in the team to 53.8% without him also paints a clear picture, but Mills insists City can find a solution, as they have often done in the past.
“Every team has injuries, every club that has ever won anything,” he said. “Manchester City have done this before. They won the league without Sergio Aguero and sometimes played a false nine.
“They have gone through periods without Vincent Kompany, without a centre-back. They have found a way, and that's what the very best teams do. They find a way even though they may not have their preferred eleven.
“It's never easy to lose one of your most important players, even if you have quite adequate replacements. Rodri makes Manchester City tick. We've seen it before with Fernandinho in that role. He was absolutely fantastic.”
“But you have to find a way around that. You still have Kevin De Bruyne. You still have Mateo Kovacic there. You still have Phil Foden who can drop into those spaces, Bernardo Silva. We have seen that Ilkay Gundogan has that done.” I've been there too.”
Losing four games in a row is also a rarity for City, having last done so in August 2006 when Stuart Pearce was the club's manager.
The most recent of those defeats, a 2-1 defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion, saw the Citizens lose a league match led at half-time for the first time since May 2021 – also away at Brighton.
Liverpool have taken full advantage of City's setback as they have collected 28 points from the first 33 on offer. Only in the 2019/20 season (31) have they collected more points at this stage.
However, Mills insists Guardiola's side are still more than capable of beating Liverpool, who they face at Anfield on December 1.
“I don't think the title race is over. I know Liverpool are top at the moment, but City have been there, seen it and done it several times, with a manager who has also done it.”
“I know the Liverpool players did it, but the manager was not in this situation. Liverpool will go through a difficult period. How they will deal with it is still unknown.”
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Mills also pointed to the uncertainty surrounding Guardiola's future as another reason behind City's exit.
“Pep's future is uncertain and I don't think that helps,” Mills said. “We saw it with Alex Ferguson [at Manchester United] the first time, when he said he would retire at the end of the season, and United pulled out.
“We saw it last season with Jurgen Klopp. Liverpool were at the top with about five points. I know City had a game in hand at the time, but in the end they were nine points behind Manchester City. It has clear effect.”
“There will be the argument that Alex Ferguson won the title in his last season, but maybe that was just one last hurray after so long, and maybe that was more about the players.”
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