Pep Guardiola insists that winning the quadruple remains ‘an illusion’ for Manchester City.
The runaway Premier League leaders face Burnley in the FA Cup on Saturday, having already reached the semi-final of the Carabao Cup against Bristol City next week.
Guardiola’s side are also bookies’ favourites for the Champions League after sailing into the last 16.
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola insists talks of a quadruple are ‘not realistic’
City are unbeaten in domestic competitions this season, but Guardiola believes that talk of a clean sweep of trophies is fanciful.
‘When in March or April we are still in the competitions then we’ll talk,’ he said.
‘But this is the third round of the FA Cup. It’s an illusion. It’s not realistic. We’ll need 32 players to play well for four competitions, and that’s not going to happen in my squad.’
Asked which cup was his priority at this stage, Guardiola added: ‘My priority is the next one. Tomorrow. Train good, rest good, wake up good, then Bristol.
‘Our intention now is not to drop any games. Bristol is a semi-final. We are going to try not to drop any competitions.’
His side are competing for all four trophies this season and face Burnley in the FA Cup next
Guardiola reiterated his thoughts about the heavy Christmas programme after claiming it is in danger of ‘killing’ players.
He added: ‘We have spoken about the issues in the meeting before the season with the Premier League. We spoke with them and the managers at the Premier League.
‘You have to speak to the federation. They accept comments and listen. The Brighton manager (Chris Hughton) said the same.
‘Just one game less, but it’s our opinion and it never happens before. It might happen next season.
‘All the comments from my colleagues are to protect players. I love to play the game.
‘We have everything to recover but two days is not enough to save our players. See how many injuries there are. We give our opinions and then we decide.’
Guardiola defended the comments he made about the congested festive fixture list
He continued: ‘My press conference after Watford was not about Christmas or Boxing Day. I love to play then. It was just the 31st (December) and 2nd (January). All the doctors and physios say the body is not recovered to play again.
‘We have to adapt, it’s what it is. You ask our opinion and we give it. But we’ll play tomorrow [Saturday] and if the schedule next season says we play every two days then we’ll do it.
‘There are amazing athletes in the Premier League. Nobody puts on the table the football players and they are the most athletic.
‘Eleven months, (playing every) three or four days, it’s so demanding. Every day they are there. I admire them a lot.
‘As a manager, you have time to analyse and in that period you don’t have time for anything.’