MIAMI BEACH AFP: Manchester City’s World Cup players have decided to return to training early and help aid manager Pep Guardiola’s attempt to defend the Premier League title.
The English champions had 16 players playing in Russia with the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Vincent Kompany, John Stones, Kyle Walker , Fabian Delph, Raheem Sterling not due back until next weekend. All players were given three weeks off from the moment their involvement in the tournament ended. But Guardiola revealed Friday that only two of his squad will not be available for the Community Shield season opener against Chelsea on August 5.
Guardiola, speaking ahead of City’s final match of the US tour against Bayern Munich in Miami on Saturday, said: “Most of them are coming back. We have just four or five days to prepare for the first final (Community Shield) so we have to adapt.
“Some of them are coming back before, some are coming back after the final.
“We need players for the final but if they are not coming back we’ll play with the guys who are here.”