New-look Manchester City kick off their Club World Cup campaign against Moroccan club Wydad AC at the Lincoln Field Stadium in Philadelphia on Wednesday evening.
The Club World Cup has acquired an added significance after Pep Guardiola’s team finished last season a disappointing third in the Premier League, were eliminated from the Champions League prematurely and ended the season with a loss to Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final.
In addition to providing the opportunity of some redeeming silverware and a vital payday, the Club World Cup provides Guardiola with the opportunity to acclimatize new players before next season in the Premier League, Xinhua reports.
New Signings Offer Hope of Turnaround for Manchester City
Manchester City have moved swiftly to begin to address last season’s shortcomings with four signings, all of whom are capable of participating in the tournament. Left-back Rayan Ait Nouri, midfielder Tijani Reijnders, and forward Rayan Cherki should inject more flair into the team, with goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli being a proven back-up on the bench.
Along with looking to view his new signings settle into his way of playing, with Ait Nouri hopefully providing some balance to a side that appeared to play a lot of last season without a dedicated left-back, Guardiola will also be hoping Rodri Hernandez can utilize the tournament to increase his recovery.
Rodri’s Return Vital Amid Injury Setbacks
Rodri sat out almost all of last season with a cruciate knee ligament tear, coming on for a few minutes as the season wound down, and with Mateo Kovacic injured and thus not in the squad for the tournament, this return now would be a massive help to the City midfield and maybe reveal what they have been losing.
Pressure on January Signings to Step Up for Manchester City
At the same time, others like Nico Gonzalez and Abdukodir Khusanov, who came in January, must also lift their game.
Kevin de Bruyne is no longer at City after making the switch to Napoli on a free transfer, and Jack Grealish has reefted out of the team and will likely be off this summer, as will Kyle Walker, with the England right-back rumored to be joining Everton in the last few hours.
