Boy Blues will have chance to impress in the States
CITY will head to the United States for their summer tour with a hotch-potch of a squad.
But while the limelight will be on first-teamers who will not be at the World Cup in Russia – basically Eliaquim Mangala, Claudio Bravo, Aleks Zinchenko, Phil Foden, Tosin Adarabioyo and Brahim Diaz – and any who suffer an exit at the group stage, the trip will represent an opportunity for some.
The Blues have had 25 players out on loan this season, and all of them will be returning to the club when pre-season training starts in July.
The exception is likely to be keeper Joe Hart, if he still makes the plane to Russia after an unconvincing season at West Ham.
City will try to sell him in the summer window, along with Mangala, but there is a large pool of young players who face a make-or-break moment.
Working hard in the first week of pre-season could land those youngsters a seat on the tour plane – and that has to be the aim for Manu Garcia and Angelino, fresh from encouraging seasons at NAC Breda, and Lukas Nmecha, already hovering on the fringes of the City first team squad.
Patrick Roberts, Angus Gunn and Bersant Celina will be hoping loan spells at Celtic, Norwich and Ipswich respectively will reap benefits, while Pablo Maffeo and Aleix Garcia will be back from Girona.
Kean Bryan, Aaron Nemane, Jason Denayer, Thierry Ambrose and Ashley Smith-Brown may have to move on with their careers.