Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has admitted that he is unsure how to deal with the demands of playing in four competitions at the same time during the second half of the season.
City are well on course to win their third Premier League title with a 13-point lead at the top of the table and a game in hand, while they have also reached the last 16 of the Champions League and semi-finals of the EFL Cup.
The FA Cup also gets underway next month as City take on Burnley in the third round, and Guardiola admits that it is a new challenge for him to traverse.
"I am worried about that. Four competitions - I don't know if we will be able to do that. The schedule - you have to be careful. I am worried because we cannot play every three days," he told reporters.
"We cannot play Kevin De Bruyne every three days 80 minutes, 80 minutes. He needs to be refreshed to help in the last part of the season.
"I have never before been in this situation. Three competitions I have handled many times, but four never. And the fourth is double games (two legs), and extra time. We are going to see how we handle that situation."
City's final game of 2017 sees them take on Crystal Palace on Sunday.
Barney Corkhill
