Manchester City will rely on their academy players to navigate a challenging week ahead, according to manager Pep Guardiola, who spoke prior to the kickoff of their Champions League campaign. Guardiola's team is preparing for a hectic two days before they face Serie A champions Inter Milan in the Champions League. Following this, City will host Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday and Watford in the third round of the League Cup next Tuesday.
Guardiola emphasized the need for his team to adapt to the upcoming season, which is expected to include around 75 matches. Several City players, including Kevin De Bruyne, Manuel Akanji, and Bernardo Silva, have expressed concerns about the congested calendar this season, which includes an expanded Champions League format and the Club World Cup.
"I have no opinion on the format," Guardiola told reporters. "UEFA decided this, and we want to be there, so we will play that format." He acknowledged the increased number of games but stated, "It is what it is. What can we do? On Wednesday, we play the best team in Italy, then on Sunday, we play the best contender of the last two seasons." He added, "Then Tuesday, another game. We have an Academy. We have to adapt and go. I like to play in the Champions League, so we are going to play."
All three European club competitions have been expanded to 36 teams this season, and FIFPRO's European member unions have initiated legal action against FIFA over the expanded men's 32-team Club World Cup, set to begin next June in the United States. Last season, England recorded the highest number of domestic back-to-back matches, 87, among top European leagues, with Premier League clubs averaging the shortest recovery time between games at 67.3 hours.
