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As soon as Pep Guardiola answered my opening question at Friday's press conference with "you'll see tomorrow", I got the sense the Manchester City boss was not going to be too forthcoming about his side's injury issues.

Part of it will be to keep Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola guessing over who will be in the City side at Vitality Stadium, but part will also be because he is waiting to discover exactly who is available and for how long.

Guardiola accepted it is not unusual for clubs to suffer a long injury list. He also knows what a negative impact it can have.

He mentioned Liverpool. In 2022-23 Jurgen Klopp's men in the end did well to finish fifth, with 67 points, a year after they had finished second with 92.

That is the scenario Guardiola will be anxious to avoid this season.

City are top. But you get the sense if they win a fifth Premier League title in a row, he would regard this one as the best.