Pre-season for Manchester City will look a lot different this summer.
In normal circumstances, Pep Guardiola’s side will have already begun pre-season training and might have participated in one or two friendly games before going on a tour to another continent; however, the Manchester club’s participation in the FIFA Club World Cup has ruled this out.
Instead, Man City have been on vacation since their defeat to Al-Hilal, with Jack Grealish and the rest of Guardiola’s squad to return to training on Monday, July 28.
When the group begin preparations for the 25/26 campaign, the players might notice something very different, as Guardiola could make a big change ahead of Man City getting their Premier League campaign under way against Wolves next month.
Pep Guardiola might not include youth players in pre-season training
Pre-season is often a time for younger players at clubs to shine while the main stars are away after international tournaments, with Oscar Bobb taking advantage of this last summer.
Man City’s youngsters will miss out on this opportunity over the coming weeks, as Guardiola’s squad is already bloated, and the legendary coach will want to work with his main stars, as the Spaniard does not have long to get his team ready for their opening Premier League game on August 16.
According to Manchester Evening News, Guardiola is unlikely to include academy players in the Manchester club’s pre-season preparations, which is a scenario that has not played out over recent years.
Man City’s Under-21s have been left to their own devices this summer and have been back in training for a couple of weeks, and have spent most of that time in Manchester.
As for Guardiola’s men, Man City may add another pre-season match to their schedule this summer, as the Premier League giants only have one game pencilled in against Palermo on August 9.
Pep Guardiola’s decision will impact Jahmai Simpson-Pusey
Several Championship and Scottish clubs are keen on signing Jahmai Simpson-Pusey on loan for the 25/26 campaign, with the defender being the player affected the most if youth players are not included in Man City’s pre-season preparations.
The 19-year-old was given the chance to impress last season with the first team, starting back-to-back games in November, and the centre-back made an impression on Guardiola.
Simpson-Pusey would have been hoping to impress the legendary coach again this summer, but the situation that has played out has impacted this greatly.
The youngster will now have to capture the Man City coach’s attention elsewhere, with an eye on impressing the former Barcelona coach this time next year.
