International tournament a gruelling test for City stars
SEVERAL City players could feature in the inaugural Nations League finals in June – but if Pep Guardiola’s men make it to the Champions League final they could face a fitness dilemma.
UEFA’s new competition has proved to be a success, and England will compete with Portugal, the Netherlands and Switzerland to take the first Nations League trophy.
But with a new competition comes uncertainty, and the tournament will have many fans and clubs wondering just how much it will affect their players – especially as it begins just four days after the Champions League final.
WHICH PLAYERS COULD BE INVOLVED IN THE NATIONS LEAGUE FINALS? Raheem Sterling, John Stones, Kyle Walker and Fabian Delph will almost certainly be involved for England if they remain fit. Phil Foden has impressed for England U21s and may be included.
Bernardo Silva will feature for Portugal, who host the competition.
WHEN ARE THE NATIONS LEAGUE FINALS? The Nations League finals will take place between June 5 and June 9. Each team will play a semi-final with the winners competing in the final, and losers contesting a third-place play-off.
The Premier League ends on Sunday, May 12, giving players four weeks to prepare.
However, if City were to reach the FA Cup final, that takes place a week later on Saturday, May 18.
City have ambitions of winning the Champions League, and if they were to reach the final, that takes place on June 1 – giving players just four days before the Nations League begins.
HOW LONG WILL PLAYERS GET TO RECOVER AFTER THE NATIONS LEAGUE FINALS? City will likely embark on a pre-season tour in early July, giving any selected players just a month off before preparations for the new season begin following the conclusion of the Nations League.
However, countries not involved in the Nations League finals will play Euro 2020 qualifiers in June anyway, with fixtures scheduled between June 7-11.
That means players involved in the Nations League are in the same situation as those from other international sides. IT might not be the role Leroy Sane would want at City, but it’s the one he is proving particularly good at this season. Phrase it how you want. The flat-track bully, the destroyer of the bottom 14, the man for the smaller occasions – it doesn’t matter, but when a team outside of the big six needs beating, Sane is the man Pep Guardiola is calling on.
In City’s games against Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham and Chelsea this season Sane has played just 45 minutes, starting none of them with Riyad Mahrez preferred. CITY have completed the signing of 14-year-old midfielder Darko Gyabi from Millwall.
He has joined the Blues for a fee that could eventually rise to around £1m, according to reports.
Gyabi played for Millwall U16s last season and Lions boss Neil Harris believes City have signed an ‘exceptional young player’.
But against Fulham, Cardiff, Brighton, Burnley and Southampton Sane has been chosen ahead of the £60m summer signing – and he’s contributed either a goal or an assist in all five of those games.
It’s horses for courses for Guardiola and at the moment the lightning quick, destructive German winger is the man to help City go hell for leather in these fixtures.
In the five games that he’s started the Blues have scored 21 goals and using the directness and the pace of Sane, with Raheem Sterling usually offering the same on the other flank, has been a key weapon.
Sane’s pace saw him on the end of Fernandinho’s low cross for the opener against Fulham, while he scored late goals to put the cherry on the icing of the cake in the thrashings of Burnley and Southampton.
In both games his goals were deserved. He’s taken 13 shots in those five starts and always looks dangerous.
For now, Guardiola clearly prefers Mahrez in the biggest games, perhaps prioritising his greater creative nous and tactical discipline ahead of Sane’s more raw approach.
Mahrez’s arrival has certainly had an impact on Sane’s selection for those games.
In 10 fixtures against their big six rivals last season, Sane started nine of them and came off the bench to score twice in the 5-0 win over Liverpool.
He also scored in the return fixture at Anfield and in the 3-0 win at Arsenal.
After he had scored in the 3-0 win against Fulham back in September, Guardiola said he was after more consistency from Sane. “We never, even in this period where he didn’t play, had any doubts about his quality. He showed it many times in the last season,” he said. “And today he played so good, but we cannot forget sometimes it happens – he is 22-years-old and he can be a little bit up and down at that age. “He has to realise for himself what a professional has to do, but I am delighted for his performance, a big compliment.” Sane is certainly showing consistency against the Premier League’s lesser lights and it would be no surprise if he was a major influence against West Ham on Saturday. He will head to the capital in confident mood after his first two goals for Germany during the international break and City have enjoyed themselves on the wide open spaces of the London Stadium pitch previously, scoring 13 in their past three visits Tyrone Marshall there.
It’s another fixture that could be tailor made for Sane.