“I Would Like To Know The Answer” – Guardiola Slams Decision Made For Chelsea Cup Tie
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says he is unhappy with the FA’s decision to play the FA Cup semi-final versus Chelsea on a Saturday instead of a Sunday.
It means that the Cityzens will have one less day to recover from their Champions League quarter-final second leg against Real Madrid, with the game taking place at the Etihad on the preceding Wednesday:
“I would like to know the answer about why we play in the FA Cup all the time on Saturday and not on Sunday. One day is a lot of difference at this stage with injured players and the accumulation of games.”
Guardiola also expressed unhappiness with the fact that Real Madrid will have nine days to prepare for the first leg at the Bernabeu, while City have to play three games in the intervening period.
City’s treble hopes could be extinguished due to an impossible schedule
The Premier League champions will have to play seven games over the next 21 days (starting with Arsenal). There is next to no rest between now and the Chelsea match at Wembley on April 20th.
Unfortunately, due to City still being in three separate competitions, the lack of downtime is unavoidable. The Premier League could have potentially pushed the midweek fixture against Aston Villa to a date in May but that’s probably all they could have done to help Guardiola’s team.
Injuries could mount up
Playing so often also raises the spectre of injuries. City already have Kyle Walker and John Stones on the treatment table, while the likes of Ederson, Kevin De Bruyne, Manuel Akanji and Matheus Nunes have only recently returned to training.
The lack of rest will inevitably cause fatigue and an increased risk of muscular injuries. If that happens, Guardiola will have to rely on a smaller squad, which means more minutes being shared around, and a greater likelihood of even more fitness problems.
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BREAKING: Guardiola Makes Shock Decision With City Boss Set To Join Fierce Rivals
David Tully David Tully 4 hours ago Categories: Manchester City News Tags: Manchester City, Manchester United, Pep Guardiola
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is expected to replace Erik ten Hag at Manchester United this summer.
The decision has got the entire football world talking, with Guardiola set to switch allegiances from Blue to Red after spending eight years at the Etihad.
Guardiola had vowed to, at least, see out his contract with City, which expires at the end of next season.
However, the 53-year-old has somehow been persuaded that his future lies with United, with the ambition of waking a sleeping giant.
What has prompted Guardiola’s move to United?
It is suspected that United were able to make an approach once they had poached City’s Chief of Football Operations Omar Berrada.
The two had worked well together at the Premier League champions and it seems the connection then led to Guardiola making the controversial switch across Manchester as well.
City could lose three or four of their top players to their rivals
Guardiola’s shock departure has even led to rumours that the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Erling Haaland, Rodri and even Phil Foden could be persuaded to jump ship and join their former manager at Old Trafford.
It is believed that City’s stars are dreaming of playing at the Theatre of Dreams on a regular basis, with its leaky roof and demanding fans the main attraction.
City, meanwhile, are considering whether to hire former Chelsea boss Graham Potter as their next manager. Guardiola has praised the Englishman’s coaching ability in the past, although some wonder whether the City boss was just being sarcastic. The Catalan is known for his dry wit but City’s board may have not got the joke.
This appointment could take place soon, or perhaps not at all. As you may have gathered, this is an April Fool’s story. Have a good day and don’t believe everything you read on the internet!
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has confirmed that Jack Grealish will be in the matchday squad for the FA Cup quarter-final tie against Newcastle this weekend.
The winger has not played since coming off before half-time in the 6-2 win over Luton Town in the last round of the competition. However, when asked at his pre-match press conference whether the England international would be available on Saturday evening, Guardiola replied:
“Yeah [Jack is getting better] He’ll be selected in the group [for this weekend].”
Considering Grealish has not played for nearly three weeks, it’s likely that he will only be on the bench at the Etihad.
Expected Return Date – Saturday 16th March v Newcastle
Kevin De Bruyne has picked up a groin injury and won’t be in contention to face Newcastle in the FA Cup.
The 32-year-old has also been withdrawn from Belgium’s squad for their friendlies against the Republic of Ireland and England later this month.
That prompted concern that De Bruyne may also miss the top-of-the-table clash versus Arsenal.
However, Guardiola has played down those fears, stating that he wasn’t 100% against Liverpool and he just needs to rest. The City boss is confident the Belgian will be available right after the international break.
Expected Return Date – Sunday 31st March v Arsenal
Ederson injured his thigh when he gave away the penalty during the 1-1 draw against Liverpool last weekend. He was subsequently substituted with Stefan Ortega replacing him for the rest of the match.
Like De Bruyne, the Brazilian has been withdrawn from international duty but Guardiola is hopeful that City’s no.1 will be back to face the Gunners:
“Eddie is getting better, hopefully, he’ll be ready after the international break. Tomorrow for
sure [he is out].”
“He’ll have two weeks off then, he’ll recover, we’ll see how he feels. Hopefully as soon as possible.”
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