Manchester City will adapt to busy week: Guardiola

London, September 16 Manchester City will adjust to a demanding week ahead by using their academy players, manager Pep Guardiola said before the start of their Champions League campaign. Guardiola’s side host Serie A champions Inter Milan in the Champions...

Agencies

Updated At : 10:15 AM Sep 17, 2024 IST

Kylian Mbappe and Antonio Rudiger at training on the eve of Real Madrid’s game against Stuttgart at home. REUTERS, AP/PTI

London, September 16

Manchester City will adjust to a demanding week ahead by using their academy players, manager Pep Guardiola said before the start of their Champions League campaign.

Guardiola’s side host Serie A champions Inter Milan in the Champions League. They will then host Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday and Watford in the third round of the League Cup next Tuesday. Guardiola said his side will need to acclimatise to the season ahead, in which they are projected to play about 75 games.

Many City players, including Kevin De Bruyne, Manuel Akanji, and Bernardo Silva, have voiced concerns about the crammed calendar this season with an expanded Champions League format and the Club World Cup.

**Cody Gakpo and Curtis Jones during a training session a day before Liverpool’s game against Milan in Italy. REUTERS, AP/PTI**

“I have no opinion (on the format),” Guardiola said. “UEFA decided this and we want to be there so we will play that format. Yes, there are more games (in the calendar), but it is what it is. What can we do? On Wednesday, we play the best team in Italy then on Sunday we play best contender of last two seasons. Then Tuesday another game. We have an academy. We have to adapt and go. I like to play Champions League, so we are going to play.”

All three European club competitions have been expanded to 36 teams this season and FIFPRO’s European member unions have started legal action against FIFA over the expanded men’s 32-team Club World Cup, starting next June in the United States.

Last season, England recorded the highest number of domestic back-to-back matches, 87, among top European leagues, with Premier League clubs averaging the shortest recovery time between games at 67.3 hours.

Hearing into alleged breaches kicks off

It has been a long wait, but the independent hearing into Manchester City’s alleged 115 breaches of Premier League financial regulations finally began on Monday. In what British media are describing as the ‘sports trial of the century’ a three-person commission will sift through reams of evidence for an estimated 10 weeks with a verdict expected sometime before the end of the current season.

City, who have won the English title a record four times in succession, were referred to an independent commission in February 2023, with the various charges dating from 2009 to 2018. They have always denied any wrongdoing.

Should City be found guilty of some or all of the charges they could face penalties or huge fines, points deductions or even demotion from the Premier League.