Erling Haaland is just one of the Manchester City stars lighting up the World Cup this summer(Image: Lars Baron/Getty Images)
1. City are the most represented club at this year's World Cup with 17 players in North America for the prestigious tournament.
2. Of those 17, only three have been knocked out of the World Cup so far. Abdukodir Khusanov was eliminated in the group stages with Uzbekistan while Tijjani Reijnders and Nathan Ake departed with Netherlands at the round of 32 on Tuesday.
3. According to guidelines from FIFPro, players must have at least four weeks off following the final game of their season.
4. This means Khusanov, Reijnders and Ake could theoretically return by the final week of July. However, it is expected they will be afforded a longer break.
5. As such, all City players at the World Cup are set to miss out on Enzo Maresca's introduction to his new team. The Italian head coach's arrival was confirmed earlier this week.
6. City's pre-season preparations for the 2025/26 season will begin on Monday, July 20. This is a day after the World Cup final in New Jersey.
7. While most of the first team will be unavailable, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Phil Foden and Rico Lewis will return on that date having not featured at the World Cup.
8. At the end of this month, the Blues will fly out to Hong Kong and South Korea for their pre-season tour.
9. Their first pre-season fixture will be on August 1, when they take on Inter Milan in Hong Kong. They will then travel to South Korea to take on a K-League All Stars XI on August 5 before concluding with a clash against Atletico Madrid on August 9.
10. A week later on August 16, City will play their first competitive match of the season when they take on Arsenal in the Community Shield at Cardiff's Principality Stadium. Their first Premier League fixture will be on August 23 when they host Bournemouth. Read the full story [here](https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/man-city-players-given-date-34208954).