The Argentine defender has admitted that the club's players were unsettled by the announcement of an incoming manager in the middle of the season
Pablo Zabaleta has admitted that the impending arrival of Pep Guardiola in the summer has affected Manchester City's focus.
The Catalan will leave Bayern Munich when his contract expires in the summer and replace Manuel Pellegrini at the Etihad Stadium.
Confirmation of Guardiola's appointment arrived at the start of February, coinciding with a drop in City's form in the Premier League, and Zabaleta would not deny that it had affected the players.
"We have got to deal with the situation," the Argentine told reporters. "But it is not easy for anyone because there is a lot of speculation about new players coming in and some players going out.
“So what we have got to do is focus more.
“We have reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the first time. We know how difficult this competition is, so it is another step forward for the club.
“But in the league, Leicester keep winning their games. The gap is big at the moment, but there are big games coming up in this period and we must try to win them all.
“We have to do what we can and then see if Leicester and Spurs drop some points, but at the moment we can’t even think about winning the league.
"This situation we are in means we can only think about the next game.”
Pellegrini's side currently lie fourth in the table and trail leaders Leicester by 15 points ahead of Sunday's derby against Manchester United.
- Goal