Guardiola considering ‘ridiculous’ plans for Manchester derby

Manchester City manager rested key players in Sunday’s FA Cup drubbing of Chelsea

Pep Guardiola says he is considering “ridiculous” plans for Manchester City’s derby at Old Trafford in the Premier League on Saturday.

City first play at Southampton in Wednesday’s Carabao Cup quarter-final, but the manager is already assessing strategies to try to defeat their crosstown rivals.

Pep Guardiola has hinted he may shuffle his pack for the upcoming derby against Manchester United at Old Trafford. Photograph: Alex Livesey/Getty Images

“I have a few ideas, thoughts – ridiculous ones against United – but still I didn’t watch their last games,” Guardiola said. “I have to see the way they play at home and if they change something. I still have to review it; that is why I don’t have a clear lineup [yet] against United.”

After City beat Chelsea in last Thursday’s league fixture at Stamford Bridge, Guardiola rested key players for Sunday’s FA Cup win over the same opposition at the Etihad Stadium, including Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne. Freshness will be a factor in Guardiola’s selection for the derby.

“The [Cup] game against Chelsea I made a lot of changes for one reason: how tired I saw some players after the game [in London], after the trip. We arrived too late back and in the training the day after I saw the players tired. It also depends on those who didn’t play against Chelsea. I would like to arrive against United with the average of minutes in the legs of the players quite similar.”

Guardiola does not feel De Bruyne or Haaland necessarily need minutes against Southampton to be at their peak to face United.

“You think about that, but at the same time, these players have played a lot of games in the last years. Kevin: if for four or five days he doesn’t play, will he lose something? I don’t think so. I don’t think it is an issue if they do not play for eight or nine days.”

Kalvin Phillips is set to make his first City start at Southampton, and Guardiola urged the midfielder to ensure Rodri “cannot sleep”, by competing with the Spaniard for a regular place in the team.

“He has to fight with Rodri for the benefit of all of us,” he said. “Rodri cannot sleep, and [has to] have the feeling there is someone close to him to do it.” – Guardian

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Phillips can start but can he finish?

Kalvin Phillips is set to get his first start for Manchester City but he also has to show he can finish.

Pep Guardiola wants the former Leeds man to show he can compete with Rodri, and part of that challenge requires giving City’s main defensive midfielder some nights off. Rodri is the only player in the squad to have played more than 2,000 minutes this season, while Phillips hasn’t even completed a half for the Blues in that time and has played fewer minutes than all but Scott Carson.

Part of that is down to the shoulder injury and operation that Phillips had in time for the World Cup, yet as well as adapting to the rhythm of the team the England midfielder will also be hoping to last 90 minutes for the first time since last June.

Hardcore trip

Huge respect to the Blues that make it down to Southampton.

It’s a long trip that will cost most hundreds of pounds and quite possibly multiple days off work. It’s also the start of a long few months of travelling with plenty of trips to London and beyond as well as European trips coming back in with the Champions League returning.

The cost of living is only going up so fair play to those who are still spending their income to watch City far and wide. At the very least, if City make the semis there shouldn’t be as much travelling involved!

Southampton watch

City sold four prospects to Southampton last summer following the move of their head of academy scouting to become director of football at St Mary’s.

The Blues included buyback clauses on players so that they can bring them back if, in the words of Guardiola, they ‘explode’ with regular first team football. And a decision may be needed sooner rather than later on Romeo Lavia, who Chelsea tried to nick in the very window City sold him.

City will be able to get a closer look to monitor how their former players are developing.

De Bruyne and Haaland fitness

Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland were among the unused substitutes on the bench on Sunday and will surely be up for coming back into the team.

But Guardiola has to think about the United match on Saturday lunchtime, an extremely tight turnaround, and those two more than most have had concerns over keeping them 100 per cent fit. That could open the door on another start for Julian Alvarez, who did not at all look leggy at the weekend on his first start since the World Cup final.

Source: irishtimes.com; manchestereveningnews.co.uk