Return date for Manchester City stars in pre-season training revealed | OneFootball

Manchester City’s first-team players not competing at the ongoing FIFA World Cup in North America now have a confirmed return date for pre-season training.

With the Pep Guardiola era firmly in the past after a £17 million financial settlement was finalised with Chelsea for Enzo Maresca, the 46-year-old will no doubt have his sights firmly set on his opening training sessions with the Manchester City squad later this summer.

This summer preparation window gives the Italian coach a clean slate to implement his footballing philosophy and outlook before the competitive calendar arrives with a Community Shield meeting with Arsenal in South Wales.

Manchester City’s hierarchy has handed the Italian a remarkable welcome gift in the form of a record-shattering £116 million agreement for Nottingham Forest and England international midfielder Elliot Anderson.

With first-team names like Gianluigi Donnarumma completely rested due to Italy’s absence from the summer tournament, coaching staff are prioritising maximum conditioning to mount a Premier League title charge once more.

When will Man City return for pre-season training?

And, as reported by BBC Sport’s Shamoon Hafez, Manchester City’s players are scheduled to report back for pre-season training on 20 July, with those taking part in the ongoing FIFA World Cup set to be given extra time off.

Return dates for the names competing in North America will depend on their exit timing from the competition, with Abdukodir Khusanov expected to feature fully during pre-season owing to his group stage exit with Uzbekistan.

Any player featuring in the competition’s quarter-finals onwards will likely not feature during the pre-season tour of Hong Kong and South Korea, where exhibition matches against Inter Milan, K-League All Stars, and Atletico Madrid await.

How does Man City’s pre-season agenda look?

The staggered arrival format presents an intricate jigsaw for Maresca and Sporting Director Hugo Viana to solve over the coming weeks, while young defensive star Abdukodir Khusanov will inject energy into training following Uzbekistan’s early elimination.

This physical load is further complicated by news that midfield superstar Rodri will undergo immediate surgery on a post-World Cup ‘mystery’ injury, meaning Manchester City will be forced to start the new competitive season without the Ballon d’Or winner.

Upcoming exhibition fixtures in Hong Kong and South Korea – headlined by the August 1 clash against Italian champions Inter Milan – will serve as a proving ground for the club’s finest emerging talents.