Pep Guardiola has told elite soccer players they are the only ones who can force change in a growing dispute over the number of games they are being asked to play. Manchester City midfielder Rodri says players are close to going on strike because of an increasingly congested schedule that will be added to next year by an expanded Club World Cup in the United States.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola on Friday urged players to lead the fight for change in the heated debate over the dangers posed by an increased fixture schedule as Bayern Munich manager Vincent Kompany demanded a cap on games.

Pep Guardiola has told elite soccer players that they are the only ones who can force change in the face of a growing dispute over the number of games they are being asked to play.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola laughed off my observation about whether his half-time changes in the past two games were an indication he had got his team selection wrong, saying it was a new tactic because of the increased number of substitutes and he might do it again against Arsenal on Sunday.

Man City manager Guardiola is sometimes criticised for a reluctance to make changes but has altered his approach in the past two games

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has hinted he could make significant alterations to his line-up against Arsenal on Sunday afternoon, during the half-time interval.It comes after the Premier League