Manchester City have four games in a space of 11 days, starting with Tuesday’s Champions League opener against Red Star Belgrade at the Etihad, before welcoming Nottingham Forest in the Premier League on Saturday.

Next will the Carabao Cup third round tie against Newcastle on September 27,  and a trip to play Wolves at the Molineux three days later.

Pep Guardiola is resigned to play youth team players in the Carabao Cup, as Manchester City try and cope with serious injury problems.

John Stones, Jack Grealish and Mateo Kovacic, in addition to Kevin De Bruyne have been sidelined through injury.

As City prioritise the Premier League and Champions League, the Carabao Cup may have to give in their hunt for trophies.

“The problem when you have a lot of injuries is maybe not today but over three, four, five games,” he said.

“We have to go away to Newcastle in the Carabao Cup and I’m sorry but we are going to have to play with some players from the second team because we cannot take the risks.

“Kevin is still out, John is still out, Kova I don’t know, Jack I don’t know. When you have all the squad you go to Newcastle with a good team but now we just have to rest, recover well, train and try to arrive on the day of the game in the best condition possible.

“We cannot waste energy. I was on holiday but these guys were playing 90 minutes for their national teams and then travelling back from Bolivia and Brazil.

“It’s so exhausting for them and not just for us, for all teams. Look at [Edson] Alvarez for West Ham, coming with jet lag from South America and playing against us. We treat players in not a good way.”