Guardiola says 'no excuses' as bruised Man City brace for moment of truth

LONDON: Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola told his players there will be "no excuses" if his bruised team comes up short in their triple trophy pursuit.

City face rivals Liverpool in the FA Cup semi-finals at Wembley on Saturday (Apr 16), just three days after their stormy Champions League mission against Atletico Madrid.

The match is the fourth in a 12-day stretch in which City also played the first leg of their quarter-final tie against Atletico and a dramatic 2-2 draw with Liverpool in the Premier League.

"I said to the players, I don't want any excuses," Guardiola said on Friday.

"Semi-finals of the FA Cup are always hard against this side, even with the top players fit and rested.

"I've learned as a manager when you arrive in the latter stages in all competitions, you adapt to the schedule. If you want to complain (for a safety) net, you make a mistake. It is what it is."

He added: "We have fought every season like this and we go through, and we are going to perform well."

Kevin De Bruyne and Kyle Walker are major doubts for Saturday.

The pair were both substituted after suffering injuries in Wednesday's fractious Champions League clash in the Spanish capital.

That game ended 0-0, but City progressed to the semi-finals with a 1-0 win on aggregate.

Neither player was able to participate as City held a training session at Millwall's ground on Friday having travelled straight to London from Spain.

Guardiola confirmed that playmaker De Bruyne had required stitches in a foot wound while Walker had suffered a twisted ankle.

"They didn't train today. We'll see tomorrow, but apparently it'd be so close after what happened on Wednesday," said Guardiola.

The ill-tempered affair with Atletico ended with a melee involving several players