MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) - The push for a more favourable match schedule must come from the players, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said on Friday, three days after his midfielder Rodri warned that players could be close to strike action over their increased workload.

Pep Guardiola has told elite soccer players they are the only ones who can force change in a growing dispute over the number of games they are being asked to play. Manchester City midfielder Rodri says players are close to going on strike because of an increasingly congested schedule that will be added to next year by an expanded Club World Cup in the United States.

Pep Guardiola has told elite soccer players that they are the only ones who can force change in the face of a growing dispute over the number of games they are being asked to play.

As the football season has kickstarted again with the relentless fixture schedule continuing this campaign, Manchester City star Rodri says players are close to going on strike due to the increase of fixtures with the club World Cup on the horizon.

Barcelona's Jules Kounde was in agreement with Manchester City's Rodri that players could go on strike