Football news - Pep Guardiola says Manchester City are not ready for the rush of matches ahead

ByReuters

Updated 16/06/2020 at 15:08 GMT

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says he does not know how ready his players are for the restart of the Premier League and the flood of matches to come.

Manchester City's Pep Guardiola in action during training at Manchester City Football Academy on May 25, 2020 in Manchester

Image credit: Getty Images

Second-placed City play Arsenal, managed by Guardiola's former assistant Mikel Arteta, at the Etihad on Wednesday.

Premier League

Klopp delighted as Liverpool overcome 'most difficult of circumstances' to beat Newcastle

30/04/2022 at 14:30

City then host Burnley next Monday, travel down to Chelsea the following Thursday and across to Newcastle United on the Sunday.

"The way we are right now...we don't know. If you ask me how is the team, I don't know. Tomorrow we will see how is the level of the team," Guardiola told reporters on a Zoom call.

I think we are ready to play one game. But three days after another one and four days after another one. We are not ready, not just Man City, all teams.

Guardiola said his players were in good shape but expressed concern that they had only three weeks of group training to get ready after months without a match. Clubs in Germany and Spain had five or six.

"All Premier League teams have three. We know it is not enough but it is what it is," said the Spaniard.

Mikel Arteta 'pretty positive' Aubameyang will sign a new Arsenal contract

In Arteta, Guardiola will be facing an old friend and while foes on the pitch he hoped he would have time to catch up afterwards.

Both have suffered over the past months, Guardiola losing his mother to the COVID-19 pandemic while Arteta caught the disease himself and had to self-isolate.

"So excited to see him...he knows absolutely everything of us, he was an incredibly important part of our success in the last years, he helped us to be who we are," said Guardiola.

We sent a message about one hour and a half ago...It was about the wine we are going to drink after the game if social distance allows.

Premier League

Guardiola confirms Dias out for at least a month, will miss Manchester derby

04/03/2022 at 19:43

Premier League

'We have to play better' - Klopp on Man Utd performance

29/10/2021 at 18:30

Premier League

Spurs 'call off pursuit' for Conte as new manager - reports

04/06/2021 at 21:47

Join 3M+ users on app

Stay up to date with the latest news, results and live sports

Download

Scan me