Manchester City return from the international break with a difficult week ahead and an unresolved off-field issue hanging over the club, but Enzo Maresca is preparing his players to keep their season moving on the pitch.
Back to work after the international break
- Maresca began work on the forthcoming fixtures while his international players completed their duties with their national teams.
- Those players are due back with the squad on Thursday as City regroup after the break.
- The Italian manager is expected to address the wider situation in a meeting with the full group, while stressing the need to remain focused on football.
- City travel to Anfield on Sunday, seeking to preserve their perfect Premier League record.
- Paris Saint-Germain then visit on Wednesday 14 in the Champions League, making it a testing few days for the squad.
Results have provided some shelter
City’s only setback of the campaign came in the Community Shield against Arsenal. Since then, they have won every match, a run Maresca will want to protect as attention remains fixed on the club’s unresolved case.
The eventual outcome is still uncertain. An appeal has been lodged and it remains to be seen whether that succeeds or what sanction, if any, may have to be served. For now, the manager’s task is a familiar one: keep the dressing room trained on the next fixture rather than the noise around it.
