Manchester City are currently preparing for their trip to Palermo on Saturday night.
The contest is the Premier League club’s only friendly ahead of the new season getting underway next week, as Pep Guardiola’s men have experienced a different summer than most due to their participation in the FIFA Club World Cup.
Everyone has been included in training over the last two weeks, but that does not mean every member of the squad will stay, with Jack Grealish among a group that are expected to leave Man City over the coming weeks.
Guardiola has already put plans in place for the Manchester club’s trip to Italy this weekend, and one star is expected to be left at home amid doubt over his future at the Etihad Stadium.
James McAtee in action for Manchester City v West Ham.
Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images
Pep Guardiola to leave James McAtee out of his Man City squad
Man City fans will be excited about their contest against Palermo as it will give them some indication of how Guardiola plans to set his team up ahead of the 25/26 campaign.
According to Manchester Evening News, Guardiola has decided to treat the game against the Serie A club like a Champions League away fixture.
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That means an afternoon flight on the day before the game after training in Manchester, with Guardiola and a player then speaking to the media at the stadium. It also means taking a squad of players, which is likely to be announced on Friday.
Guardiola is also not expected to take all of his Man City players to Palermo, with James McAtee one of the stars who could be left at home, despite training with the group in Manchester over the last two weeks.
McAtee has been linked to Nottingham Forest in recent weeks, who had a £25m offer rejected by Man City, as the Manchester club continue to look to bring in £40m for the midfielder.
It remains to be seen where the 22-year-old ends up before the transfer deadline arrives, as this next move could be crucial for the Englishman’s career.
Man City plan to have Rodri for Wolves
Although a decision seems to have been made on McAtee, the same cannot be said for Rodri, as the Spaniard continues to recover from a recent injury.
Rodri picked up a small issue at the FIFA Club World Cup but has been training with the rest of the Manchester club’s squad in recent days.
According to Manchester Evening News, a decision on whether to take Rodri to Italy has not been made yet; however, Guardiola hopes to have the midfielder ready for City’s opening game of the Premier League against Wolves.