Manchester City will have to accept a more challenging season as they grapple with injuries that make it difficult to repeat the success of recent years, manager Pep Guardiola said ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League clash at Sporting.

Depleted by a series of injuries to key players, the Premier League champions saw their 32-game unbeaten run in the league end with defeat at Bournemouth on Saturday, following a midweek reverse at Tottenham Hotspur in the fourth round of the League Cup.

Guardiola said on Monday he was aware of the expectations surrounding his team but knew they were likely to suffer more defeats due to injuries and the rising standard of opponents.

“I know our standards but we’ve only lost one game. Maybe we’ll lose again in the Premier League against Brighton and against Tottenham and against Liverpool,” Guardiola told reporters referring to the next three Premier League games.

“We are only two points behind Liverpool, who are a top team… We have started well in the Champions League but I know people expect us to win 38 league games and win the treble every season because these they are our standards.

“The reason it’s difficult is because we’ve had a lot of absentees, which can happen in some seasons.

“Sometimes to win the treble everything has to be on the same page with injuries, but that’s not possible this time… The teams are very strong and everything is more difficult and we have to accept that. That’s the challenge.”

City will be without Ballon d’Or winner Rodrigo and Oscar Bobb for most of the campaign, while John Stones, Jack Grealish and Ruben Dias remain on the sidelines and have not traveled to Portugal.

Manuel Akanji, Nathan Ake and Kyle Walker still struggle despite being in the squad, Guardiola said, and Kevin De Bruyne and Savinho are improving while Erling Haaland is fit.

City, third in the Champions League after two wins and a draw, are looking for a third European win in a row at Portuguese champions Sporting, who have eight but also have seven points and are unbeaten in all competitions this season.

“They play quite similarly to how we faced each other two seasons ago, the pattern is so clear,” added Guardiola.

“They have changed players but they have the same manager and the same mentality,” he said of Sporting boss Ruben Amorim, who will take over at Manchester United next week.