Manchester City are now the finest club in the world after winning the Club World Cup earlier this week. Along with it, the best squad in the world can be included. Most matches require more than 11 participants to compete. And, given the increased amount of games these days, it requires far more than 11 over the season. One thing that strikes out this season is that Manchester City appears to have a smaller roster than in past seasons.

THIS SEASON, THE MANCHESTER CITY SQUAD LOOKS THIN

One of the problems for Manchester City this season has been if the squad is too small; not in terms of amount of players, but of individuals in whom Pep can put his trust. The starting lineup for the Club World Cup final demonstrates this.

A look at the starting lineup revealed that none of the players signed by City this summer were present. A second look revealed that none of the players signed by City last summer were also present. If Erling Haaland had been fit, he might have made the XI. The same could be said for Jeremy Doku, who has earned the manager’s trust since signing this summer.

KEY PLAYERS HAVE NOT BEEN REPLACED BY PEP GUARDIOLA

No one in Manchester City’s squad has been able to fill Rodri’s shoes. To be fair, I don’t believe anyone on Earth can replace him. When Rodri isn’t on the field, the difference is palpable.

The same may be said of Kevin de Bruyne. Although Julian Alvarez has performed admirably in the part of KDB, no one on Earth, including Rodri, can do what KDB does. Pep was also unable to replace John Stones while he was injured. Ilkay Gundogan, the club’s former captain, has also proved difficult to replace.

With so many players in the squad being irreplaceable, questions regarding Manchester City’s recruiting must be raised.