Pep Guardiola reveals potential return dates of Rodri, Kyle Walker, John Stones, and Phil Foden to Manchester City training | OneFootball

Manchester City may not welcome their representatives in the 2024 European Championships final back to training until after the Community Shield.

The Premier League champions have seen their first Euro 2024 stars return to the squad this summer, with Josko Gvardiol and Mateo Kovacic linking up with the rest of Pep Guardiola’s first-team squad in New York City this week.

The Croatian duo saw their adventure at the European Championships end at the group stage, and as such their three-week holidays have enabled them to play a big role in Manchester City’s four-game pre-season tour of the United States.

However, it is widely believed that the duo will be the only players to come away from the European Championships and play a part in the US tour, with the remaining first-team players being granted extended breaks and return dates of August 5 ahead of the Community Shield.

There does remain the problem of Manchester City’s Euro final stars, with four players going the length of the competition in Germany and subsequently being subject to individual conversations over when they can return to action at the City Football Academy.

Speaking to reporters in New York City on Friday night, Pep Guardiola was quizzed on whether any further players could be joining up with the Manchester City squad on their pre-season tour of the United States following their end-of-season holidays.

In direct response, the 53-year-old admitted, “No, I don’t think so. Everyone has joined us back. I’ll give extra days when we come back to Manchester.”

On the subject of his four players starring in the recent European Championships final, Pep Guardiola continued, “As late as possible. I said to them, come back when you are fine, when you want to come back, when you have a desire to touch the ball again.

“If you don’t feel it, stay at home, because it [the season] is so long. So what I’ll guess will be, I don’t know, before the Community Shield, a few days before, or after the Community Shield. This is the plan. We have to rest them. Premier League, UEFA, FIFA don’t think about them, so we have to do it as managers.”

Rodri’s remarkable performances for both club and country, as well as claiming the Euro 2024 title and Player of the Tournament prize in Germany, has now thrust him into the conversation over the upcoming Ballon d’Or prize.

As such, the Spaniard may be granted the lengthiest of the summer breaks, and Manchester City may deem it necessary to allow him to miss the Community Shield meeting with Manchester United, returning for preparations ahead of the Premier League opening weekend.

As for Kyle Walker, John Stones, and Phil Foden, the Three Lions duo may be in a similar situation to Rodri, however some may decide to return early to fully overcome their disappointment at the final hurdle in Germany against Spain.