Manchester City will fly to Spain from Newcastle on Sunday before taking on Barcelona in a mid-season friendly.
Pep Guardiola will return to his boyhood club for a charity game on Wednesday in support of former Barcelona goalkeeper and coach Juan Carlos Unzue, who was diagnosed with the incurable ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) two years ago. The match was meant to take place last year but was delayed because of the ongoing pandemic, and all proceeds from the match will go towards ALS research.
City will use the week for some warm-weather training in their last full week between Premier League fixtures before the matches start to come every three days as the Premier League and Champions League try and cram their schedules in around the winter World Cup. While Manchester is set for rain most days and temperatures of 20C next week, Girona will be sunny and above 30C up to Thursday.
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After flying straight from their match with Newcastle on Sunday, the Blues will be based in Girona before making the short distance to Barcelona on Tuesday and playing on Wednesday before returning back to Manchester the following day. They then take on Crystal Palace at the Etihad on Saturday and also host Nottingham Forest four days later in the first midweek league fixture of the campaign.
City will be scrutinised for playing a friendly between games when their manager regularly complains about the unhealthy workload on players, and Guardiola has promised that all of his biggest stars will be there - including Barcelona transfer target Bernardo Silva.
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