The Premier League Champions will start their pre-season in Manchester next Monday on July 11 before heading off on their tour of the United States later in that week. The group will include new signings Erling Haaland, Julian Alvarez, Stefan Ortega Moreno and Kalvin Phillips, although Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling will have left by then.
A number of youngsters and fringe players will also be given the opportunity to impress Guardiola and his coaching staff as the manager finalises his squad for the new campaign. City play Club America and Bayern Munich on their tour before the new campaign starts at the end of the month with Liverpool in the Community Shield.
City’s return is relatively late compared to their rivals. Some United players have already started work under Erik ten Hag at Carrington and will be heading off on their pre-season tour this week, Liverpool players return at the start of the next week and Chelsea towards the end of it.
Guardiola is well-known in the game for giving his players as much time off as possible when he can, knowing that there are plenty of times in the season when there is no room for a break. The winter World Cup in Qatar makes this coming season likely to place more demands on the players physically and mentally than ever before.