The ultra-successful Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says his club will have to sell players this summer for their own good.

The Premier League side brought in several players ahead of the Club World Cup, leaving Guardiola with a large squad, which he says will have to be trimmed for the sake of easier squad management.

Midfielders Jack Grealish and Ilkay Gundogan have been linked with moves elsewhere in recent days and with the likes of Kevin De Bruyne having also exited, it is s season of transition for the sky blues.

Guardiola said he did not know anything about their departures for now, but admitted several players would have to be sold following the purchases of Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Cherki and Rayan Ait-Nouri, with more rumoured to be on the way.

"I will love to have the players we have right now all season," Guardiola told reporters in Atlanta. The problem is they will be unhappy during the season, they will be sad, they will be disappointed.

"I don't want that. I do it for them, not for me. For them. We have to see what happens, it's a long time until the transfer window will be closed, we have to see step by step, he was quoted by AFP.

Guardiola has said in the past he prefers a squad size of around 20 senior players, whereas City have more than 30 at present.

Before trimming the squad, City are hoping to win the Club World Cup in the United States with their new arrivals providing fresh energy.

They beat Wydad AC in their first match and face Al Ain on Sunday at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium where they can seal qualification to the last 16.

Guardiola said Spanish defensive midfielder Rodri was not able to start the game as he continues his comeback from injury.

"He's getting better. He can play 20 minutes, 30 minutes at a time. He wants to play to help, but we want to protect his knee," said the coach.

City are looking to end their season on a high with a potential victory at the Club World Cup to cap off what has been a disappointing season at domestic level where they trailed eventual league winners Liverpool heavily throughout the season and lost to Crystal Palace in the FA Cup Final.