It could be unusually quiet at the City Football Academy during the international break.
Most of the Man City first-team squad are away representing their countries, leaving Enzo Maresca with considerably reduced numbers until they return.
Jeremy Doku, Allan Elias, Phil Foden, Marcus Bettinelli and Matheus Nunes are among the senior players staying behind, according to Sky Blues.
So City can just about put together a five-a-side team. Finding another five to play against them could be trickier.
Maresca working with reduced Man City squad
At least the positions work reasonably well. Bettinelli can go in goal, Nunes can do most of the defending and Foden, Doku and Allan can sort themselves out further forward. There should not be much competition for the bibs.
City’s own international guide lists 20 members of Maresca’s current first-team squad who have been called up, including Erling Haaland, Ruben Dias, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Enzo Fernandez, Marc Guehi, Elliot Anderson, Nico O’Reilly and Antoine Semenyo.
There is further representation from the younger ranks. Rico Lewis is with England Under-21s, Kaden Braithwaite and Ryan McAidoo have joined England Under-19s and Floyd Samba is away with Germany Under-19s.
City are not back in action until October 11, so it will be a while before the CFA starts filling up again. Until then, Maresca may have to keep the training pitches fairly small.
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