Anyone who overindulges over Christmas will be dropped warns Pep Guardiola | OneFootball

Pep Guardiola has left his Manchester City players in no doubt: Christmas indulgence will come at a cost, as the City manager confirmed he has weighed his squad and warned that any player who returns from the festive break out of condition will be left behind for next week’s trip to Nottingham Forest.

Even Saturday’s comfortable Premier League win over West Ham was not enough to earn his players a day off. Guardiola refused their request for rest, insisting training and recovery took priority to reinforce his message.

“The players asked me to take a day off. I said no because you didn’t play good enough,” Guardiola explained to reporters. “They come back on the 25th, and I will be there controlling how many kilos come up.”

The Catalan coach made clear that fitness, not reputation, will dictate selection. Any player reporting back carrying excess weight risks being excluded entirely.

“Imagine one player arrives with three kilos more,” Guardiola said. “He will stay in Manchester. He will not travel to Nottingham Forest.”

GFN | Finn Entwistle