Guardiola Welcomes Returning Stars as City Prepares for Community Shield Clash
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola will see a host of familiar faces back in training on Tuesday as his squad gears up for their Community Shield showdown against Manchester United.
City are determined to secure their first Community Shield in four years after falling short in their previous three attempts. They will face a Manchester United team led by Erik ten Hag, who triumphed over them in the FA Cup last season. City, however, will be far from full strength, with many players just returning from their summer break following the European Championship.
On the recent US tour, Guardiola discovered two promising talents, James McAtee and Nico O’Reilly, who have caught the eye of the coaching staff with their performances. Guardiola will be pleased to welcome back seven key players from the Euros, including Kevin De Bruyne, Jeremy Doku, Ruben Dias, Bernardo Silva, and Matheus Nunes, who returned to the City Football Academy on Friday for pre-season testing. Nathan Ake and Manu Akanji also rejoined the team earlier in the week.
The full squad will regroup on Tuesday as they prepare for the Community Shield, with only five first-team players still absent. Rodri, Phil Foden, Kyle Walker, and John Stones have been given extended time off by Guardiola, with their expected return aligning with the Community Shield fixture. Julian Alvarez, whose season ended with Argentina’s Olympic defeat, will be missing for a few more weeks. His future at City remains uncertain amid significant interest from Atletico Madrid, and the decision on his transfer will hinge on whether a suitable offer is made.
