Pep Guardiola knows that he can't have any of that in time for Sunday, and there is little chance of overtired legs recovering from the heavy workloads that have been forced upon the small group of players that have avoided injuries this season. What he can do is try to change the mindset to offset those factors.

Pep Guardiola knows that everyone outside Manchester City is revelling in the champions' demise - but he is ready to rip up his squad and rebuild

In the last two summers, City have postponed much of the rebuild; two of the six recruits in that time are now in the band of 30-somethings. And while Guardiola said it was harder to be stable defensively without a quartet of centre backs and two holding midfielders, arguably he only has one: Mateo Kovacic does not covet that role.