4 weeks ago
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When Kevin De Bruyne was told helium wasn't getting a caller declaration astatine Manchester City, determination was ne'er immoderate accidental of him making the travel to the United States for the Club World Cup. The Belgian made his feelings wide astir the caller tourney past year.
The Blues whitethorn person embraced their enactment crossed the Atlantic until Monday's daze decision to Al Hilal, but players harbour reservations astir their ever-increasing workload.
Rodri has been 1 vocal professional of the docket and turned into impervious of the hazard of these demands past twelvemonth erstwhile helium suffered a superior genu injury. Around the aforesaid clip past September, De Bruyne gave dependable to his ain concerns astir different summertime tourney and the imaginable for 7 much games.
"The existent occupation volition look aft the Club World Cup," De Bruyne said.
"We cognize determination volition beryllium lone 3 weeks betwixt the Club World Cup last and the archetypal Premier League match. So, we person 3 weeks to remainder and hole for different 80 matches."
"Maybe this twelvemonth things volition beryllium OK, but adjacent twelvemonth could beryllium problematic. The Professional Footballers' Association successful England and different subordinate associations person tried to find solutions," helium added.
"The contented is that UEFA and FIFA support adding other matches, and we tin rise concerns, but nary solutions person been found. It seems that wealth speaks louder than the players' voices."
De Bruyne isn't the lone 1 with these concerns. Thomas Tuchel believes the beingness of City and Chelsea successful the tourney hands Liverpool and Arsenal a "huge advantage" adjacent season, and Guardiola has admitted to being disquieted arsenic well.
Addressing Tuchel's comments earlier the last-16 necktie with Al Hilal, the Catalan said helium had nary thought however playing successful the tourney would impact City adjacent season, arsenic determination was nary precedent for specified a lengthy summertime contention for clubs.
“I effort not to deliberation astir it, different I volition beryllium truthful anxious,” said Guardiola. “We volition remainder the clip the Premier League allows america to. And crippled by game, period by month, we volition see.
"And possibly successful November, December, January, inquire me, Pep. I whitethorn say: ‘So listen, we are a disaster. We are exhausted. The World Cup destroyed us.’
"I don’t know, but it’s the archetypal clip successful our beingness that that’s happened [32-team Club World Cup]. So we volition see."
If the critics are right, past possibly City's gut-wrenching decision earlier this week volition really payment them, adjacent if the symptom of being knocked retired was precise wide successful Orlando.
City had cruised done the radical signifier and looked to beryllium getting backmost to their best. Their 5-2 triumph against Juventus was not lone a thrilling performance, but besides opened the gully up invitingly for them. They were beardown favourites to scope the last astatine the MetLife Stadium.
But they fell isolated against Al Hilal, with the Saudi Pro League broadside moving riot connected the interruption to triumph 4-3 aft other time. It was a sobering reminder that immoderate of City's frailties from past play stay contiguous successful their game.
So an earlier than expected departure from America was hard to take. City were heavy invested successful occurrence successful the tourney and you could spot what decision meant to them astatine the Camping World Stadium.
In time, they mightiness commencement to spot the blessings of specified a setback. The squad person present decamped for 4 weeks disconnected vacation earlier returning to the Etihad Campus connected July 28 to statesman preparations for the Premier League season.
Had they remained successful the tourney until the final, they would person apt had possibly 3 weeks disconnected and conscionable 2 weeks of grooming earlier the commencement of the season. This gives them a overmuch amended lead-in clip to the caller play and allows for a much important play of rest.
There could inactive beryllium knock-on effects heading into the caller season, but they volition beryllium little terrible than they could person been. In time, City mightiness statesman to spot the positives of their daze decision successful Orlando.
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