Pep Guardiola's latest future hint significant amid looming November 'deadline'

In the summer, Pep Guardiola spelled out what it would take for him to sign a new contract at Manchester City.

"I want to be sure it’s the right decision, not just for me but for club, the right decision for the players," he said in New York in July. "If they run like they already ran for eight years, no matter the competition, the tournament, and this is what I have to see and that’s all.

"When I said I would love to stay (it’s) because I would love to stay. So that’s why, I want to deny my feelings, I want to see my players."

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It is almost a weekly occurrence that Guardiola is asked about his contract, to the point where he has stopped answering in press conferences. Even on the questions about his motivation to continue and his international management plans he can see the headlines coming.

So when he does offer hints about his mindset it feels significant - even if those clues need putting in a wider context before drawing conclusions.

City have just lost three in a row for the first time in forever. Even last season when they lost every game of Rodri's three-game suspension, they beat Leipzig in the middle. They always have a sticky spell in the Autumn, but often win the league.

Yet Bernardo Silva says they are in a 'dark place' due to their injury build-up and fitness issues, and that phrase has been seized upon even if Guardiola disagrees. Bernardo added City must improve and that injured players must return if they are to achieve anything this term. The manager will be looking at a tricky post-international break fixture list and needs his players to get back to their best.

Yet even without half of his squad and most of his senior players Guardiola appears energised and has praised their application on a number of occasions this season already. He suggested some needed to play through the pain last week - and that rallying cry was heard when Kevin De Bruyne, Kyle Walker and Jeremy Doku returned.

So after watching City dismantled at Sporting, it felt telling that Guardiola said the following unprompted: "I want to be here. I want to fight, I won't give up. I like this challenge ahead of me. The players who want to follow me, they will be there."

If this is to be Guardiola's final season, he could be forgiven for looking at the injury list, the schedule, the stress involved, and thinking it is the right time to walk away. The winds have changed on where his future lies - it looked like this would be his final year before a summer holiday, then he raised hopes in New York by saying 'if you love what you do, why should you stop?'.

He seems genuinely undecided, although November could be an important month - he has signed his last two contract extensions during international windows at this time of year, possibly because he's had enough time of the season to see what he has to work with.

No news in November doesn't necessarily mean good news or bad news. But it would break with his previous decisions and there will be an interest throughout the coming international break to see if there is any white smoke.

If he wants to see how his players feel and if they are motivated, then there is probably no better way than a gruelling injury crisis. He will see which players put their bodies on the line and who steps up during this 'dark place.'

Guardiola insists he won't give up, this season at least. It is encouraging he still has the drive to continue, perhaps beyond this campaign. Now it is over to his players.