Pep Guardiola has cautioned his Manchester City players that excessive indulgence during their Christmas break could lead to exclusion from the lineup for the forthcoming match against Nottingham Forest.
Guardiola disclosed following the 3-0 triumph over West Ham on Saturday that all his players were weighed on Friday.
They will be re-weighed upon their return to training on Christmas Day, and Guardiola mentioned he will be closely monitoring the outcomes before selecting the team for the match against Nottingham Forest on December 27.
«Every player gets weighed [on Friday],» Guardiola stated. «They come back on the 25th, and I will be there to track how many kilograms they put on. When they arrive after three days [off], I want to see how they come back.
«They can have meals, but I want to keep them in check.
«I must select a team against Nottingham Forest. Picture one player who is now in peak condition but returns with three kilograms extra. He will [stay] in Manchester. He will not make the trip to Nottingham Forest.»
City is currently in second place in the Premier League standings, trailing the leaders Arsenal by two points.
Despite the convincing victory over West Ham and a strong position in the league, Guardiola stated some aspects of the performance were «not good.»
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In response, the City manager cancelled a scheduled day off on Sunday and opted to shorten the players’ break to three days.
«The players requested a day off [on Sunday], but I refused since they did not perform well enough,» Guardiola remarked, who intends to spend his Christmas break in Barcelona.
«[On Sunday] recovery, train the players who did not participate, and after three days off, you have two days to prepare for Nottingham Forest.
«The schedule is extremely packed, and the players need to disconnect. They should be with their families and not think about football.»
