Pep Guardiola has been speaking about what Julian Alvarez and Ederson experienced on international duty away from Manchester City.
The Spaniard was quoted by Beanyman Sports.
So, what did Pep Guardiola say about Ederson and Julian Alvarez? Let’s take a look…
What’s the story?
Well, the 52-year-old did not actually name the pair, but specifically discussed the “exhausting” tribulations of those who had to travel from Brazil and Bolivia.
The £14.1m Alvarez featured for Argentina in a 3-0 win over Bolivia on Tuesday before flying back to play in Manchester City’s 3-1 win against West Ham on Saturday.
Ederson also faced Bolivia, playing 90 minutes in a 5-1 victory on Saturday 9th September.
Speaking about the duo’s schedule, Guardiola said: “I was on holiday, but these guys played 90 minutes with national teams, travelling from Bolivia, Brazil – it’s so exhausting. Just look at how many injuries teams have.”
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Clearly, the Santpedor-born tactician sympathises with his players who were forced to fly long distances over the international break.
Julian Alvarez deserves credit for how well he performed in 3-1 Manchester City win
In our view, Alvarez’s performance against West Ham, in which he played the full 90 minutes, has flown under the radar – especially given the distance he had to travel throughout the international break.
The 23-year-old crucially provided two assists and also hit the woodwork at the London Stadium, with his setup for Bernardo Silva’s strike akin to something we’d expect from Kevin De Bruyne.
Manchester City’s No.9 is starting to become a deadly creator as well as a sharp finisher, and with plenty of time on his side to get even better, the Citizens have a phenomenal prospect on their hands.
Alvarez is quickly becoming one of Guardiola’s most important players, and he deserves a bit of recognition for how effective he was on Saturday, when it would have been easy to ask for a rest.