Pep Guardiola believes the extra day to prepare will be vital as Manchester City gear up for their Champions League clash against Juventus on Wednesday evening in Turin.
DETAILS:
Man City manager Pep Guardiola has emphasized the importance of the extra day ahead of their Champions League clash against Juventus on Wednesday. City will kick off at 20:00 (UK) in Turin following a hard-fought 2-2 draw against Crystal Palace in the Premier League this weekend.
With a long list of long-term injuries impacting the squad, Guardiola sees the extra recovery time as vital for ensuring key players are in the best shape possible for the crucial clash.
Guardiola’s Thoughts on the Schedule: The additional day provides City with a better chance to finalize preparations and recover key players, especially given the injury struggles this season. Guardiola shared:
“My people have started to study [Juventus] and fortunately we don’t play on Tuesday, we play on Wednesday so we have one more day to recover these players because we don’t have players to come back.”
Guardiola acknowledged Juventus’ stature in Italian football, calling them “the most important team in Italy alongside Milan, Inter” and emphasizing the challenge of playing at their home ground.
He added:
“It’s a nice stadium and we’ll try to get a good result.”
Injury Challenges & the Tough Winter Ahead:
Guardiola praised the efforts of his medical and fitness team, highlighting their hard work in managing the squad amid injury struggles.
Despite their commitment, the manager admitted the challenges remain:
“The doctors and physios are working incredible this season like never before I have ever seen but the reality is we have few players to rotate in this period.”
He reflected on the 2023 Treble-winning season and how squad depth played a huge role in that success, stating:
“We could win but we could not do it and it’s football. This season will be like this.”
Guardiola also stressed the importance of perspective:
“Don’t feel sorry, accept the challenge and maybe at the end we will have more satisfaction about the way we behave than in other seasons when we won the titles.”
CITATIONS: These insights come directly from Pep Guardiola’s post-match comments and analysis leading up to Wednesday’s clash with Juventus.
KEEP IN MIND: Manchester City’s injury struggles remain a significant hurdle this season, and the Champions League clash with Juventus will test their recovery and tactical preparation.
