Pep Guardiola is big on body language – but the Manchester City manager is sending out all the wrong signals at the moment.

Just 48 hours before City face Juventus in a Champions League clash they must win to avoid the prospect of going into a play-off to reach the last 16 of a competition they were the pre-season favourites to win, Guardiola told the world in an interview with a Michelin Star chef that he’s tired and could do with a break.

“I want to leave it and go and play golf but I can’t,” moaned the manager who, in truth, has been so successful in his eight seasons at the Etihad that he’s running out of things to achieve.

But it’s strange that Guardiola should be talking about swapping the training ground for the fairway given it was only last month that he signed a two-year contract two remain in charge until 2027.

Until the Catalan put pen to paper, his future was a constant topic of conversation in both press conferences and the dressing room. Yet instead of looking towards the future, the City boss has continued to harp on about having low energy levels.

His habit of reminding every critic that his team has won six of the last seven Premier League titles is also wearing a little thin given Guardiola’s philosophy has always been that you’re only as good as your last game.

In eight of their last nine games, his four-in-a-row champions haven’t been good enough to win. City have been damaged by injuries, particularly in central defence, with Ruben Dias, John Stones, Manuel Akanji and Nathan Ake all spending time on the sidelines.

Ballon d’Or winner Rodri is out for the season, Kevin De Bruyne has once again been plagued by fitness issues, while Phil Foden is currently a shadow of the player that was named Footballer of the Year last season.

But with director of football Txiki Begiristain leaving at the end of the season, there has also been a failure to recruit the kind of talent to usher in a new era of success as City’s greatest-ever team begins to fade with age.

Playing for Guardiola has been a USP for Begiristain when describing the City project to players like Erling Haaland, Rodri, Jack Grealish and Josko Gvardiol. Begiristain’s job would have been made much harder last summer when it was assumed the club would be appointing a new manager inside the next 12 months.

His successor, Hugo Viana, may have similar issues given the mixed messages currently emanating from Guardiola. The City boss also revealed in his chat with Spanish chef Dani Garcia that when he does leave the Etihad he will need an extended break from club football.

That he then opened the door to international management is a tantalising prospect for the Football Association, given Guardiola was the man they wanted to replace Gareth Southgate. Guardiola has insisted that he will quit City if he ever feels he can no longer inspire his players – even if he is under contract.

Back in 2015, when the Blues were already deep into a charm offensive to lure him to Manchester, they gave Manuel Pellegrini a new two-year deal. It was merely a smokescreen designed to cover their talks with Guardiola while he was still coach of Bayern Munich.

Six months later, Pellegrini announced he would be leaving at the end of the season to make way for the Catalan – and the Chilean was given a handsome pay-off to go quietly.