Enzo Maresca has handed five senior players a short break as City juggle a congested fixture list, with none of them expected to feature in tomorrow night's Carabao Cup fourth-round tie against Brighton.
The City manager confirmed that Erling Haaland, Ruben Dias, Elliot Anderson, Gianluigi Donnarumma and Josko Gvardiol were given time to refresh after the 2-1 defeat at Aston Villa.
“After Villa, we gave five players three days off. Erling, Elliot, Gigio, Ruben and Josko. Go away on holiday. Three days off, go, come back. Full energy.”
City are the Carabao Cup holders and face Brighton at the Etihad Stadium tomorrow night. The game comes amid a heavy schedule, with matches arriving every three or four days and no let-up until the next international break.
That relentless run makes Maresca's decision to rest key men a sensible one. The five players are unlikely to be involved against Brighton in the cup, but they should be ready to return for the Premier League meeting with the same opponents on Saturday.
For a squad chasing more silverware, managing minutes now looks like a calculated move. The cavalry will be back for the weekend.