Returning trio will help Manchester City bounce back – Delph

Manchester City’s returning stars can help Pep Guardiola’s side bounce back from their 3-2 defeat to Crystal Palace, according to Fabian Delph.

City slumped to a shock loss at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday as Andros Townsend’s stunning goal inspired Palace’s victory, leaving their hosts trailing Premier League leaders Liverpool by four points.

The reverse was City’s second in three league matches and puts the defence of their title in jeopardy, with the visit of Liverpool in January already looking pivotal.

There were some positives against Palace, though, as Sergio Aguero, Riyad Mahrez and Kevin De Bruyne got more minutes under their belt after returning from injury.

And Delph believes the trio will provide fresh impetus when Guardiola’s men face Leicester City and Southampton over the Christmas period.

“It is important not to dwell on the past and to live in the present,” said the England midfielder.

Two games to put things right this Christmas…

Who’s with us? #MondayMotivation pic.twitter.com/xQNFbkFOpS

— Manchester City (@ManCity) December 24, 2018

“That game is finished now, it’s about the next game. It’s about getting the three points on the board.”

He added: “It always helps when you have a fully fit squad. People pushing each other for places is healthy.

“But we have more than enough in the squad to win any match, whether someone is injured or not. Everyone understands their roles and the systems, but we were just unfortunate [against Palace].

“We’ll go on, have a look at it and then focus on the next game.”