Guardiola: I hope injured Messi doesn’t retire soon

Lionel Messi‘s absence from Sunday’s El Clasico has not gone unnoticed by Pep Guardiola, who hopes that the Argentine continues to play for many more years.

The  La Liga match played at Camp Nou saw Barcelona defeated Real Madrid by 5-1.

It was be the first Clasico without Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in over a decade and while there were nteresting things about the match, some suggested it has lost some of its glamour with their absences.

“Cristiano [Ronaldo] is gone and Messi is injured,” Guardiola said.

“But he will play in this game again and I hope he doesn’t retire soon.

“He has had bad luck this time because he is almost never injured.”

Manchester City currently lead the Premier League and are on track to defend their title and Guardiola offered some analysis on their start to the season both domestically and in Europe.

“When we don’t win we tend to think that it’s because we’re not hungry,” he added.

“But the analysis has to be more sophisticated, we are lucky to have such a large squad in the Champions League.

“After losing to Lyon and conceding early against Hoffenheim we reacted very well and we are in a position now where progression is in our own hands.”

Kevin De Bruyne has returned from injury in recent days and it will mean the City boss will have to make changes that he himself thinks are unfair.

“It’s a problem, yes.

“I won’t be fair and people who deserve to play aren’t going to play.

“They are professionals and they’re not happy when they don’t play but when they come to training they are happy; I understand when they get angry.”