Pep Guardiola reveals his honest thoughts on Manchester United’s controversial decision: “I might not agree.”

Pep Guardiola has praised Manchester United’s depth after Ruben Amorim made bold decisions ahead of their clash with Manchester City.

The new United manager, aiming to turn around a tough start at Old Trafford, excluded Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho from the squad entirely. While both were expected to at least feature on the bench, neither traveled to the Etihad. Instead, they trained under Amorim’s supervision on Sunday morning, having been informed of their omission the night before.

Guardiola, despite City’s struggles—just two wins in their last 10 matches—acknowledged United’s quality. Speaking to Sky Sports, he said, “They have pace up front, good quality with [Amad] Diallo and [Mason] Mount in the pockets, and of course [Rasmus] Hojlund and Bruno Fernandes to link with them. It’s a good team. Maybe he chooses other players, but the squad… maybe I completely disagree with most people. I think Man United’s squad is exceptional.”

Amorim clarified that his decision to leave out Rashford and Garnacho wasn’t to make a statement but was based on careful observation. He explained, “We evaluate everything—training performances, game performances, how they support teammates. It’s my selection. It’s not about sending a message; it’s about analysis.”

He added, “In difficult situations like this, everything matters—how they eat, how they prepare for a game. After the final training, there’s communication, and they understand. They trained well this morning, and I was there to see it.”