The Premier League, the world's most popular championship, will be making its much-awaited return today. Two games will welcome back the English top-flight, the first being Aston Villa vs Sheffield. However, all eyes will be on the second showdown, which is Man City vs Arsenal.
Pep Guardiola spoke ahead of their home clash with the Gunners, with one of the topics of discussion being the players' fitness levels. This is understandable, given that footballers were forced into an abrupt and prolonged break due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Citizens boss, who is synonymous with high intensity football and demanding his players run through brick walls, raised concerns over the lack of ample time to prepare. One rule change set to accommodate the hectic fixtures list which every club must endure from now until the end of the season is the increase in substitutions. Teams will now be allowed to make up to five changes, a move taken to prevent injury pile-ups.
Despite this, Guardiola does not believe players, both at the Etihad Stadium and elsewhere in England, are physically ready for the hastened resumption of the Premier League. Additionally, the Spanish tactician foresees several injuries as his team prepare to play four games in the span of 11 days.
"We are ready to play one game but not another one three days later and then (another) four days after that," Guardiola said, as per the Daily Mail.
"Not just Man City, all the teams. We were two months of holidays, lying on the sofa, and that's why I think the players are not fully fit.
"But we have to finish the season because the economic damage to the clubs must be as little as possible. We have to adapt, pray a little bit and be lucky.'"
Pep, who stated "even with [five substitutions each] there will be a lot of injuries", also stressed that Premier League teams were not afforded enough time to prepare as their La Liga and Bundesliga counterparts. He also admitted that his players might struggle to play at a high intensity but conceded that these are difficult times which Man City have to cope with.
"We were worried with these three weeks, the incredible lack of preparation," Guariolaa added. "It's not like in Spain or Germany, where they worked for five or six weeks.
"We know it is not enough but it is what is. All the people with their own businesses and shops, they have to adapt, everyone has suffered in this situation personally and economically, and we have to adapt.
"They are training well but I don't know exactly their physical condition and for how many minutes they will be in the high level."
After the Wednesday clash with Arsenal, Aguero and Co. will be back in action on Monday against Burnley. From there, Man City will play two away games in three days, traveling to Chelsea on June 25 before visiting Newcastle on June 28.
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