Pep Guardiola Denies Possibility of Major Manchester City Clearout

Pep Guardiola acknowledges that the experienced Manchester City players will be crucial in the club's rejuvenation as they aim to bounce back from a disappointing season. With only the FA Cup left to compete for following setbacks in the Premier League and Champions League, Guardiola's focus is on guiding his team to success. City will face Plymouth in the fifth round, seeking to salvage some silverware. The club's management has faced scrutiny for not addressing the aging squad sooner, despite their dominance in six of the last seven Premier League seasons. Guardiola is determined to rebuild and revitalize the team with the help of their veteran stars.

City made four signings in the January transfer window -- Omar Marmoush, Abdukodir Khusanov, Nico Gonzalez and Vitor Reis -- illustrating the scale of the rebuild required following injuries and a loss of form for key players.

But Guardiola told his pre-match press conference on Friday that his experienced players would have an important role next season.

"There are players here that are over 30 and they will be part of the future of this club," he said on Friday.

"Except Kevin -- Kevin and the club will decide in the future -- the others have contracts and next season I expect them to be here. They are going to help us."

He added: "We cannot do it just with the new ones or the old ones. We have to be all together... It's really, really important at the end of the season, the next season.

"I count with Gundo (Gundogan, 34), I count with Berni (Bernardo Silva, 30), I count with all the players that have a contract. They are there. I have no doubt about that."

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Guardiola, whose team are trying to reach the FA Cup final for a third straight season, is refusing to take Plymouth lightly.

The southcoast team, in the Championship relegation zone, shocked runaway Premier League leaders Liverpool in the fourth round.

"We played many times in the Carabao (League) Cup and the FA Cup against lower league teams and always they are tricky," he said.

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"What these teams do, they do really well. And if you are not ready you are in trouble. We have a chance to arrive in the last eight of the FA Cup again and we want to do it."

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(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)