Gabriel Jesus has insisted that injuries played an important part in Manchester City's defeats to Norwich City and Wolverhampton Wanderers this season.

The Premier League champions fell to a shock 3-2 defeat to Norwich at Carrow Road in their first league game after Aymeric Laporte suffered a severe knee ligament injury.

Moreover, City's 2-0 home defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers came against the backdrop of Kevin De Bruyne suffering a recurrence of a groin problem.

Speaking on the subject of how City can improve this season, Jesus told Manchester Evening News: "I don't think it's a matter of the team relaxing. We have a few players injured, very important players for us.

"Obviously, their absence is going to take its toll on the team. It happened - we lost two games. We are aware that it's part of football and defeats are going to happen. But we must pick ourselves up and carry on working.

"Playing against Crystal Palace is always difficult, no matter if we won in our last game there at Selhurst Park or not. It was a very difficult game, as usual. Last season, we lost our game against them at home and we won away. You can see how curious football is."

Pep Guardiola has had to contend with a long-term injury to Leroy Sane, while John Stones and Benjamin Mendy have contributed to the list as well.

Those two defeats, combined with a 2-2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur in August, leave City eight points behind Liverpool in the Premier League table.