Maresca to begin Man City pre-season on July 20 as World Cup players rest

Manchester City will begin pre-season training under Enzo Maresca on Monday, July 20 — the day after the World Cup final concludes in the United States. The date marks the formal start of the new manager’s era at the club, though the bulk of City’s senior squad is unlikely to be present given their involvement in the tournament.

Seventeen City players travelled to the World Cup representing their countries. Of those, only Abdukodir Khusanov, Tijjani Reijnders and Nathan Ake have so far been eliminated, meaning the majority are still active. FIFPro guidelines recommend a minimum four-week rest period for players following major tournaments, making it probable that most of City’s World Cup contingent will not return to Manchester by the July 20 date.

Those who did not travel to the United States — including Gianluigi Donnaruma, Phil Foden and Rico Lewis — are expected to form the core of the initial group, supplemented by promising academy players. Maresca is understood to be planning to take a significant number of young players on City’s summer tour to Asia, which is scheduled for the end of July and includes three matches in Hong Kong and South Korea.

World Cup players are expected to integrate back into the squad on a rolling basis once they have completed their required rest, with some potentially joining the tour for at least part of the trip.

City return from Asia ahead of the Community Shield against Arsenal in Cardiff, which falls in the week before the Premier League campaign opens. Their first league fixture is a home game against Bournemouth at the Etihad — the first time City have opened the Premier League season at home in a decade, a milestone that also marked Pep Guardiola’s debut with the club back in 2016.