Pep Guardiola is ready to play academy players against Tottenham in the Carabao Cup with Manchester City in a battle to defend their Premier League crown.
The champions have missed key creative spark Kevin De Bruyne for much of the opening weeks of the season, and influential midfielder Rodri has been ruled out for the rest of the campaign in a huge blow to City.
City required an injury-time John Stones goal to win at Molineux and Saturday's 1-0 triumph over Southampton courtesy of an early Erling Haaland strike, was a laboured affair.
Guardiola does not expect things to get any easier, particularly with many opponents adopting defensive tactics to neuter City's threat, but he insists he is ready for the challenge.
Guardiola said: "It's difficult. Look at Wolves, how good they can play and look now at Southampton. They are at the bottom of the league and, my god, if these teams are at the bottom of the league, what do you do with the other ones? This is my feeling.
"But I'm not surprised when you play Champions League, Premier League, Champions League, Premier League and everything and Southampton had all week to prepare for the game.
"In these type of games, if you don't score the second or the third it is tough, it is difficult, but accept the challenge."
Guardiola is now expected to make a number of changes for Wednesday's Carabao Cup tie at Tottenham and says he will not risk anyone not fully fit.
That would appear to rule out the chances of De Bruyne, Kyle Walker, Jack Grealish or Jeremy Doku returning.
He said: "We are few, few people. I don't know if I'm going to think against Spurs maybe some players from the academy. We will see.
"If the players are fine they are going to play against Spurs but if they have doubts I'm not going to take a risk, that's for sure."
Additional reporting by Press Association.
