Man Evening: Absence of Too Many Players Leaves Guardiola Unhappy with Man City’s Pre-Season Preparation

On August 1, the Manchester Evening News discussed Manchester City’s pre-season preparations, noting that since most of the team’s key players did not join Manchester City for the pre-season matches, Guardiola is not satisfied with the results of the pre-season.

Due to the recent conclusion of the European Championship and Copa America, many international players are still on vacation. The Manchester City squad competing in the United States during the pre-season largely consists of youth players. Guardiola acknowledged that 85% of the main squad did not participate in the pre-season tour in the U.S.

Among the Manchester City squad playing in the United States during the pre-season, Haaland is the only player who can be confirmed as a starter. Players like Grealish, Kovacic, and Gvardiol will also play important roles within the team. However, Guardiola is still missing other big-name stars. He believes that Manchester City’s performance at the start of the new season may be inconsistent because most of the key players are still on vacation.

If international players feel they have had enough rest, they can return to Manchester City early; however, if they are not ready, Guardiola will not force them to come back. When Haaland sustained a minor injury, Guardiola quickly substituted him out, fearing that further participation could aggravate his injury and affect the early stages of the season. Additionally, there have been rumors of potential departures involving players such as Alvarez, De Bruyne, and Ederson.