Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini is more interested in keeping pace with the title race than spending any time addressing any of the Pep Guardiola speculation currently swirling around the club.
Pellegrini has been quick to point out that City are still in all four competitions but Guardiola’s recent announcement of his impending departure from Bayern Munich in the summer might mean that winning any or all possible trophies might still not be enough due to the impending availability of the Barcelona manager.
Guardiola has a relationship with City executives Txiki Begiristain and Ferran Soriano who were responsible for appointing him to his first management role at Barca.
Pellegrini remained relaxed despite the media speculation over the start of a new round of forthcoming managerial changes insisting:
“I will talk with the owners or directors but I am not thinking about the future. I am trying to finish the season and doing well in the four competitions that we are still in.
“I don’t know if speculation is wrong. I am not the person who decides.”
Pellegrini will be relieved that City’s injury list has abated, with only Samir Nasri remaining on the treatment table albeit for another three months.
The Chilean said: “The injury situation is better, this week we will have the complete squad recovered except Samir Nasri.
“Pablo [Zabaleta] worked with the squad and so did Vincent [Kompany] and Fernando.”
With the Christmas programme about to get under way, Pellegrini insisted that the defeat at Arsenal was not the end of their title challenge although he said that City had to remain in touch with league leaders Leicester City in the second half of the season next year.
“The important thing is we are in this moment in the third position; four points off Arsenal and six points off the leader, Leicester.
“We play Sunderland on Saturday and Leicester on the 29th and it’s important to win these two games to finish the first round [of games] and it’s important to be involved in the title as we are now at the end of January.
“If you are the leader it’s better but I think the important thing is to be involved at the end of January and then win the title in the last three months of the season and not at the end of December.”