Pep Guardiola agreed with a journalist claiming that the pre- World Cup scheduling is adding “ridiculous” strain to his squad.
The English football calendar was given a dramatic shake-up ahead of the season kicking off, with the upcoming tournament in Qatar causing havoc. A total of 15 rounds of Premier League fixtures will have been played before the break, with clubs also being forced to navigate midweek Carabao Cup clashes.
Man City open their latest campaign in the competition against Premier League rivals Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday evening. Ahead of the match, Guardiola was asked if the current scheduling was “ridiculous” and agreed with that statement before joking that he might be forced to field some of his side’s medical staff.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference, he said: “What can I say? Everyone agrees with the word that you used. It’s better not to think about it, play [the Chelsea ] game and try to win it - that’s the best way.
“If they decide to put the game in that stage, right after the World Cup, and we don’t have our international players, okay go with the academy - or with some physios.”
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In a further dig at the planning for this season, Guardiola has also expressed his concern over the potential for injuries and has reinforced that his squad must be fully focused despite the inevitable distraction of the upcoming tournament.
He continued: “In this schedule we also have a crazy World Cup and the players can’t rest. I will rest but the players don’t rest with the World Cup. The game [against Chelsea] and against Brentford [on Saturday] - the players have one eye on the World Cup.
“If you got an injury against Brentford it’s not going to change anything in terms of winning the Premier League or not winning the Premier League. But [the players may say]: ‘I’m going to miss the World Cup because of it. What am I going to do? How am I going to play? Maybe I will be alert.’
“I have to tell the guys to do it, to be focused - one month ago, okay. But now it [the World Cup] is there, it’s around the corner. So we play Saturday and Saturday night they fly because on Sunday they have got to be with the national team so I’m pretty sure that will be a little bit in the players’ minds. It’s normal. I would be the same.”
Man City head into their clash with Chelsea aiming to continue their excellent run in the Carabao Cup. Since Guardiola’s arrival, they have lifted the trophy on four consecutive occasions between 2018 and 2021 but their run was halted last term with West Ham United earning a penalty shootout victory in the fourth round.
