Pep Guardiola has insisted Manchester City will have to spend heavily in 2025 to flesh out their squad and avoid a slump similar to their current miserable run.

City have won just once in their last ten games heading into Sunday's derby with Manchester United, with Guardiola often highlighting the toll injuries have taken on his small squad, primarily the serious ACL injury suffered by Ballon d'Or winner Rodri.

"Why is Rodri injured? He played 75 games last season," Guardiola argued. "When we finished and I was on holiday, he was at the Euros to win the Euros with Spain, and injured with Spain and came back.

"And one game, two games. Do you know [if], being fresh, you get an ACL? No. I promise. Strong as Rodri, but he came back tired, not on the top, but I needed him against Inter, I needed him against Arsenal, not being at the top. And you are not strong enough and unfortunately, it happened.

"The reason why? The schedule. Give him one month and a half, two months holiday, give to Rodri two months holiday after the Euros, like in the NBA, three months they have, four months they have, tell him, and he would be perfect, and after he can play 80 games if you want. But give him three months."

As well as calling for a change to the schedule, Guardiola challenged those in charge of City to dip into the transfer market to flesh out his squad to a suitable level that he can afford to rest his biggest names.

"Next season, next season Manchester City - not Chelsea, they already have the squad - have to be 30 players, 25 or 30," Guardiola stressed. "How do you sustain the club economically, and financially? We won't have revenues next season, impossible. Impossible.

"Why do we have revenue this season? We sold a lot of players, from the academy especially, a lot, and with Julian [Alvarez] and the other ones, a lot. Combine the financials and the demands for the team, it's tough! We would like to have 17, 18, 19 players, financially the conductor for the team, it's perfect.

"Today, in modern football, it's impossible. Impossible. Even with 22 and 23 years old, the young ones, and one team would say, 'Ah no because we work differently'. We were perfect in the preparation, physical preparation because our nutritionists are more special than the other clubs.

"No, because our beds are top for rest. You say that, yeah. Next year, seven injuries. Doing the same. It's the schedule. Don't look at it another way. Impossible."