Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has revealed his squad has not trained at all since Wednesday’s win over Crystal Palace ahead of Saturday’s FA Cup final against Chelsea.
With City having already secured the League Cup this season, their fixture list has been particularly demanding, featuring a relentless run of Premier League and FA Cup matches as they pursue a historic domestic treble.
Guardiola admitted that the rushed turnaround following their victory over Crystal Palace on Wednesday has been far from ideal for their Wembley showdown.
“I would prefer to have seven days like Chelsea had but when you reach the final of the Carabao Cup (League Cup) and you win one of these domestic trophies, then you have less days,” Guardiola told reporters.
He added: “The schedule is what it is. Of course, it’s not ideal but we did it in the past and we’ll have to do it tomorrow. The big clubs, when you are in more difficult circumstances than the opponent, you do extra to try to do it.”
“It’s not the perfect scenario to prepare for the final because we didn’t train absolutely anything since Crystal Palace. But I rely a lot on what we have to do and we’re going to try.”
This marks City’s fourth consecutive FA Cup final appearance, and Guardiola hopes his side can “do better than the last two times” and deliver a performance that makes their supporters proud, referencing losses to Manchester United in 2024 and Crystal Palace last year.
He outlined his message to the squad: “The message (to the players) is how we have to move, run, play against Chelsea to beat them.”
Emphasising the significance of the occasion, he continued, “it is the FA Cup final at Wembley with two prestigious clubs, with our fans that make an incredible effort to come down to London – which today is not cheap – and try to perform as good as possible to win.”
Wembley holds a special place for Guardiola, who lifted the Champions League trophy there with Barcelona and has led City to the iconic stadium 24 times.
He light-heartedly quipped, “I’m so disappointed with English football for not making (renaming) a stand for Pep… So many times I’ve been there, so at least a lounge or a box.” He then added, “Maybe I need to go 24 more times. It’s been a special place, definitely.”
Regarding team news, Guardiola confirmed that a late fitness assessment would be made for midfielder Rodri, while the remainder of the squad is fit and available.
