**Shaun Wright-Phillips believes that his two former clubs, Manchester City and Chelsea, will suffer the effects of the Club World Cup when the 2025/26 Premier League campaign kicks off.**
Speaking to [_Prime Casino_](https://www.primecasino.co.uk/blog/journal/shaun-wright-phillips-exclusive/), the ex-England international said that both teams may benefit from their participation in the tournament, at least initially, before feeling the full effects nearer the end of next season:
“It’s a double-edged sword. The Club World Cup means that Chelsea and Manchester City might not be fresher, exactly, but they’ll be sharper and have more match fitness because they’ll have played competitive football at a higher tempo.”
“Going into the season, that might have a benefit, but then with a draining, long Premier League season alongside the Champions League and the cup competitions, they could definitely tail off with fatigue. There will be a lot of rest days needed and given to players, I imagine. I hope they can protect players’ health and welfare.”
City’s players will need a break before August
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If Pep Guardiola’s side do end up reaching the final of the Club World Cup, their last match would be on July 13th, which is just over a month before the 2025/26 season begins on August 16th.
It is not known how much holiday players will get after the competition in the United States, but 3-4 weeks is usually the norm. It means the squad could have very little preparation time heading into the opening Premier League fixture.
Guardiola’s squad demands won’t help matters
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Another factor that has to be considered is the manager’s request to have a small first-team squad. Guardiola has made it clear that he doesn’t want senior players regularly left out on matchday.
Of course, that means there will be fewer options to rotate, especially if there are injuries. It could leave the Cityzens in a similar situation to the first half of the 2024/25 season when Guardiola was forced into selecting certain stars when they were not 100% fit.
In other news, [**Man City are set to benefit if a Premier League rival signs a goalkeeper for £40m**](https://mancitynews.com/man-city-transfer-news-james-trafford-newcastle/)