GUNDOGAN STRUGGLING TO TRAIN ALONE DURING LOCKDOWN
MANCHESTER City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan has revealed he is struggling to motivate himself to train on his own during the coronavirus lockdown.
The 29-year-old German has not played football for City since their 2-0 defeat by Manchester United on March 8 as all games in the Premier League have been suspended because of the outbreak of Covid-19.
As well as games being cancelled, players have also had to train by themselves in isolation as the UK government urges people to stay in their homes to prevent the spread of the disease.
Gundogan shed some light on how he is coping with the change by explaining the difficulty to stay motivated after more than a month of training alone. “I have a few things to do, and then I’m ready to go. To be honest, it’s not so easy to motivate yourself these days every day when you are training,” he told the Manchester Evening News. “You know, like people who are working from home, you can maybe compare it to that.
“For those people, it’s also not the same as driving to work every day and then doing their jobs. You have to motivate yourself to do things and to do your work. Some days it’s harder than others.”
Before the lockdown, Pep Guardiola’s defending champions were 25 points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool. They were also the only club this season to pick up a domestic trophy after successfully defending the Community Shield and Carabao Cup.
City were on track to add to their success as they reached the quarter-finals of the FA Cup and beat Real Madrid 2-1 at the Bernabeu to increase their chances of making the last eight of the Champions League. Guardiola’s men will have to maintain momentum during lockdown to hit the ground running when they return to action to complete their Champions League tie with Real Madrid – which could now be played in early August.
Gundogan insists the break will not be disastrous for their campaign because he believes the time off will aid the return of injured players such as Leroy Sane, who is recovering from anterior cruciate ligament damage.
“The situation has its good and bad sides,” he said. “On one hand, Leroy had already trained with the team, and he had his comeback in sight, even though he still had a few minor things.
“He now has a bit more time to figure out those minor problems he still had. The fact that others can’t play either is not so bad for him.”
Amid the lockdown and training at home, the German has been putting his resources to good use in Heinsberg, a town close to his home.
During the pandemic, he has donated towards a shopping service and provided care packages for nurses to say thank you for their work in the town’s local hospitals. “Heinsberg was pretty much the coronavirus outbreak in Germany, and it’s not far from my hometown, so there’s a connection.
“There was a possibility to do something, so I did it. And Nuremberg, I’ve lived there for a long time, it was my first professional team.
“My former school principal contacted me. I like him a lot. We made a plan and did something. Those were all things I could identify with. I’m a privileged person, and I am grateful that I am able to help.” | Daily Mail