Pep Guardiola's angry his tired Man City squad can't get a flight home

09/26/2023 Soccer

Pep Guardiola bemoans Man City squad not being able to fly home from Carabao Cup trip to Newcastle on Wednesday

  • Manchester City travel to Newcastle for their Carabao Cup clash on Wednesday
  • The team must return by coach after failing to secure a flight back to Manchester
  • Mail Sport’s new WhatsApp Channel: Get the breaking news and exclusives here

Pep Guardiola says the lack of a plane to fly his stars back from Newcastle on Wednesday night will cost them valuable recovery time as the Manchester City boss grows increasingly concerned about a lack of rest.

City typically take trains from away matches but none are available at the time of night and they haven’t sourced a plane for after the Carabao Cup third-round fixture at St James’ Park.

Guardiola’s squad will instead board an Ellisons coach for the 142-mile journey home, the first of six away matches over the next seven games.

‘The bus is no problem but we arrive much later,’ Guardiola said. ‘We cannot come back by plane, there are problems with the planes so we have to take a bus and will be two or three hours later, much later than we expect.’ 

City are set to name a much-changed team against Eddie Howe’s side for a tie that Guardiola has been unusually dismissive of amid a ‘troubling’ injury situation.

Pep Guardiola has been left fuming at not being able to fly home from Newcastle on Wednesday

Newcastle head into the Carabao Cup clash off the back of thrashing Sheffield United 8-0

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Ruben Dias and Kyle Walker will be given the night off, while Bernardo Silva, John Stones and Kevin De Bruyne remain injured. 

Rodri is serving the first of a three-match suspension for violent conduct. Jack Grealish and Mateo Kovacic, returning from injury, are expected to feature.

‘At the beginning of the season there are always five or six players who don’t play regularly and this competition is perfect,’ Guardiola said.

‘That’s when everyone is fit. But now it’s an exceptional situation, we have a lot of players injured or with a lot of minutes in their legs. 

‘They have to rest. Wolves, Leipzig and Arsenal are much more important.

‘The problem is the lack of rest – especially mentally. Two or three weeks off between seasons, it’s nothing. The problem is a lack of rest, year on year. I complain a little bit here and then forget it.’ 

Despite a squad that Guardiola claims is stretched, City are refusing to call upon players from the academy.

‘I don’t want to take risks (but) some players who are maybe tired have to play,’ he said. ‘We sold a lot of players from the academy (in the summer). The ones we have are so young, so young to play Newcastle away.

‘It is why we have to give time to them to develop. We cannot just bring them from the academy and play them there, no… we spoke with (sporting director) Txiki (Begiristain) and Brian (Barry-Murphy, Under-21 manager), they are not prepared right now.’ 

Ruben Dias (right) and Kyle Walker (left) will be given the night off against the in-form Magpies

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