BY SHIFA JAHAN
Manchester City players are “in the fridge” for two days as they try to deal with the demands of a packed fixture schedule, according to manager Pep Guardiola.
City, seeking their fourth league title in a row, are third on 71 points, two behind Arsenal and Liverpool with a game in hand ahead of their trip to Brighton on Thursday.
City ground out a 1-0 FA Cup semifinal win over Chelsea on Saturday with leading scorer Erling Haaland missing out due to fatigue.
Guardiola criticised the 72-hour recovery time his team had following last week’s penalty shootout defeat by Real Madrid in the Champions League semifinals.
He says of his players: “They are in the fridge for two days. Don’t see each other, stay at home with your families. Try to rest, nothing special.
“Two days to prepare for Brighton and Forest [on Sunday]. One game at a time.”
Guardiola also dismissed any talk of boycotting the media due to his frustrations over the schedule, saying: “I always attend the media because I represent this institution.”