Zabaleta: Guardiola will bring changes to Manchester City

Manchester City defender Pablo Zabaleta expects a transition at the Etihad once Pep Guardiola arrives from Bayern Munich in the summer.

"We suspect changes but it's normal. Now is not the right time to talk about the future because there's a lot of time for this," Zabaleta said, according to the Guardian. "We just need to be 100 percent focused on the next games. We need to deal with it."

The British press has suggested over the past week that Guardiola, who was announced as City's replacement for Manuel Pellegrini on Monday, will force an exodus of players and change the way the game's played in England.

Defenders Eliaquim Mangala and Martin Demichelis, midfielder Yaya Toure, and striker Wilfried Bony reportedly face the likeliest of exits.

Zabaleta's future with the club is in doubt, as well. The 31-year-old Argentine, who joined the Citizens in 2008, has only started in four Premier League matches this season. He understands the reason why City went ahead and made the appointment midway through the current campaign.

"The club decided to announced this now; after so many rumours we really understand this. Now it's just time to finish in the best way we can do this season," he said.

"We are all behind Manuel Pellegrini. He's been great for this football club, so he's to continue in the way he has done for the last few years. Nothing changes for him and then we'll see at the end of the season with the new manager coming in."