Pep Guardiola has issued a caution to his Manchester City squad, warning that excessive indulgence during the Christmas break could lead to being sidelined for their next match against Nottingham Forest.
Following the 3-0 victory over West Ham on Saturday, Guardiola shared that all players were weighed on Friday.
They will be re-evaluated upon returning to training on Christmas Day, and Guardiola emphasized he will closely monitor the weights before finalizing the squad for the Dec. 27 encounter with Nottingham Forest.
“Each player was weighed on Friday,” Guardiola stated. “They will come back on the 25th, and I will be monitoring how much weight they’ve gained. When they return after three days off, I want to see their condition.”
“They can enjoy their meals, but I need to keep them in check.”
“I have to make selections for the game against Nottingham Forest. If a player is in great form but comes back three kilos heavier, they won’t be traveling to Nottingham Forest; they’ll remain in Manchester.”
Currently, City sits second in the Premier League, trailing leaders Arsenal by two points.
Despite the convincing win against West Ham and their strong standing in the league, Guardiola remarked that aspects of the team’s performance were “not good.”
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In light of this, Guardiola canceled a planned day off on Sunday and shortened the players’ break to just three days.
“The players requested a day off on Sunday, but I declined, as their performance wasn’t up to standard,” Guardiola explained, as he intends to spend his Christmas break in Barcelona.
“On Sunday, we will focus on recovery and train those who didn’t participate, and after three days off, we will have two days to prepare for Nottingham Forest. The schedule is incredibly tight, and players need to disconnect. They should enjoy time with their families and forget about football.”