Bernardo Silva unsure if new-look Man City ready for biggest titles as Rodri returns for Monaco game

Manchester City captain Bernardo Silva believes it’s too early to say if his team can be a contender for the biggest trophies this season.

City has overhauled its squad over the last two transfer windows, signing potential stars of the future in the likes of Rayan Cherki, Abdukodir Khusanov and Nico Gonzalez while also bringing in established players — like Gianluigi Donnarumma and Tijjani Reijnders — who are getting used to the way of playing under Pep Guardiola.

Silva has been at City since 2017, won every major trophy with the club — including the Champions League and an unprecedented four straight Premier League titles from 2020-21 — and played with some of its greatest-ever players.

Now the team’s captain, the 31-year-old Portugal midfielder sees plenty of potential but isn’t ready to say yet that the new-look City can be English and European champions this season.

“It’s difficult to say. I would like to give you an answer but the reality is in the last six months a lot of things have changed,” Silva said Tuesday, a day before City’s Champions League match at his former club Monaco. “So you need time to adapt to the ideas, to get back to the level we were, and that’s a conversation to have … maybe in February, March to see where we are.

“What we really want is to improve day by day and come back to the level where we think we can be. Definitely these players have the potential to be there, it’s just a matter of time. I hope it’s this season, I really hope, and I believe it can be this season. But I cannot give an answer for that.”

Kyle Walker and Kevin De Bruyne — City’s last two captains — both left the club during the offseason and Silva took the armband, fronting a leadership group also containing Ruben Dias, Rodri and Erling Haaland.

There has been constant speculation about how long Silva will be staying at City and he refused to divulge if it will be beyond this season, when his contract will expire.

“I know exactly what I’m going to do,” Silva said, “but it’s not the time to talk about it.”

Rodri available

Guardiola said Rodri was available after experiencing pain in his right knee ahead of the 5-1 win over Burnley on Saturday, forcing him to miss that match as he bids to regain full fitness after an ACL injury that ruled him out for most of last season.

“He feels much better,” said Guardiola, who believes playing three high-intensity games in one week is still beyond last year’s Ballon d’Or winner in his current condition.

“He needs time. This type of injury — minimum one year. That’s why we have to be patient. He dictates. When he feels not good, it’s better to rest.”

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer