City’s preparations under Enzo Maresca have been dictated by the World Cup as much as the transfer market.
Players not involved reported back on 20 July. Those who went furthest with their countries have not — a squad Maresca will build in stages rather than all at once.
The fixtures
- 1 August — Inter Milan, Hong Kong
- 5 August — K-League All Stars, Seoul
- 9 August — Atletico Madrid, Seoul
- 16 August — Community Shield vs Arsenal, Cardiff
- 23 August — Bournemouth, Etihad Stadium (Premier League opener)
There is no domestic fixture beforehand. City go straight from the training ground to Hong Kong, a tighter turnaround than usual and a function of how late their most important players are due back.
The World Cup returnees
Abdukodir Khusanov is already available, Uzbekistan’s group-stage exit sparing him an extended break. Three others are not. Marc Guehi and Rayan Cherki both played in the third-place play-off, England beating France 6-4 in Miami.
Rodri went further still, starting Spain’s 1-0 win over Argentina in the final. None of the three will feature in Asia.
Their first appearance under Maresca is more likely to be the Community Shield, or the Bournemouth game itself.
Rodri’s timeline has since become harder to predict. He is set to undergo back surgery, with no return date given. Tournament fatigue was always going to delay him. Now there is a separate reason to keep him out.
Three fixtures on the other side of the world, then a Cardiff final and a home opener inside a fortnight. City’s biggest names are the last through the door, and the calendar is not built to wait for them.
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