Manchester City supervisor Pep Guardiola isn’t involved concerning the prospect of a fixture pile-up later within the season.
The Premier League champions’ conflict with Tottenham final weekend was postponed following the loss of life of the Queen and there may be additionally a risk their journey to Arsenal on 19 October shall be moved.
That is as a result of the Gunners may reschedule their postponed Europa League tie towards PSV Eindhoven for that midweek.
With the World Cup as a result of interrupt the season for six weeks from mid-November, it appears unlikely these City video games may very well be performed earlier than the brand new 12 months.
That may create a backlog within the second half of the marketing campaign however Guardiola isn’t worrying about it now.
“The Premier League has the ability to find (room for) the fixtures,” mentioned Guardiola at a press convention to preview Wednesday’s Champions League conflict with Borussia Dortmund.
“Maybe the Tottenham game will be in February or March because now I think it is not possible. We will find a way.
“There’s the Carabao Cup, FA Cup at that moment but we will find a way. We are going to play this postponed game, it’s not a problem. Always the fixtures were so tight every season.
“After the (September) international break we’ll have a one month and half with a lot of games. Then the World Cup.
“We’ll see how the players come back from the World Cup and after that, in the last three or four months of competition, we do all we can to be there at the end.”
The go to of Dortmund sees Erling Haaland face a fast reunion with the membership he left in the summertime.
The Norway striker has made a shocking affect at City, scoring 12 targets in simply eight appearances since his £51million transfer from the German facet.
Two different latest signings, Sergio Gomez and Manuel Akanji, are additionally former Dortmund gamers.
“They know these players better than I know Dortmund players, that’s for sure,” mentioned Guardiola, whose facet beat Sevilla 4-0 of their opening Group G sport final week with two targets from Haaland.
“They can get that benefit but we’ll see (on Wednesday) if it’s an advantage or disadvantage, but these three know the qualities of the Dortmund players too.”
Guardiola believes it’s his gamers, slightly than himself, that maintain the important thing to his facet’s hopes of progressing.
“It belongs to the players,” the Spaniard mentioned. “I have said many times, we are over-rated, the managers, about our influence.
“The game belongs to them. The decisions have to be made and they can express and do it how many times they want.”
City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan, one other former Dortmund participant, has been impressed by Haaland since his arrival.
“The numbers speak for themselves,” the Germany worldwide mentioned. “He’s doing great on the pitch but his character, attitude and determination off the pitch is something incredible.”
City are hoping Haaland can show the ultimate piece of the jigsaw after years of close to misses within the Champions League.
“We will see,” Gundogan mentioned. “It will be a very tough competition and little details can decide the outcome.”
Source: www.unbiased.co.uk