Orlando (United States) (AFP) – Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says his team must be ready to ‘suffer’ in the Florida heat when they face Juventus in their final Club World Cup Group G match on Thursday. Both City and Juventus have the maximum six points from their opening two games and have booked their place in the last 16, but top spot remains up for grabs. The heat, which has caused problems at several venues, is expected to be around 33 degrees Celsius (91 degrees Fahrenheit) for the game at Camping World Stadium, which kicks off at 3pm local time.
Guardiola suggested his team line-up would be made with multiple second half changes in mind. “I’m making the selection tomorrow [Thursday] thinking about the second half because in these conditions we can’t play at our rhythm,” he told reporters. “But all the teams have to handle it, so it is what it is. For the next World Cup, people will know [about] it already, but we have to be ready to suffer. My advice to people is to bring water, hats, and towels,” he added.
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Guardiola has rotated his squad so far in the tournament and will be without the suspended Rico Lewis and Argentine teenager Claudio Echeverri, who has an ankle injury that is likely to keep him out for the rest of the tournament. The Spaniard addressed a viral video which showed the City manager playing beach football with some of the players near the team’s base hotel in Boca Raton, South Florida.
– Managing workload –
Guardiola said it was simply a case of balancing the workload for his team after a long season. “The end of the season was so demanding emotionally. It wasn’t the best for consistency and results. I decided we’d do good training but let the players relax for the rest of the day,” he said. “If they want to play golf, go to the pool, or on a day off, be with their families (that’s fine) – otherwise it would be so difficult mentally. It’s to keep it fresh in the training sessions, not expending energy before the games because it would be so tough. We didn’t lose physical condition after the season.”
“Some went to their national teams and didn’t have days off. It’s maintaining (fitness) and relaxing. We have 11 months ahead of us. I decided for them to do whatever they want,” he said.
Juve boss Igor Tudor said he may make some switches to his starting line-up but insisted that did not mean his team had anything in mind other than victory. As things stand, the team that finishes second in the group is likely to face Real Madrid in the last 16. “We will definitely change something, but we want to play a serious game and win, fielding players who can help us achieve this goal,” said the Croatian.
“The lads are motivated and eager, everyone wants to play. Those who will not play from the start will be disappointed because everyone wants to play these games,” he added. “Manchester City are a team that has dominated for years, led by the best coach in the world. It will be a game in which we give everything; we will play our football, they will play theirs, and we will see what the final result will be,” he concluded.
© 2024 AFP
