In two weeks, Enzo Maresca will be at the City Football Academy ready to meet and greet his new Manchester City players. The former Chelsea boss knows a few from his previous spells at the club and will have faced others, but will be working with nearly all of the squad for the first time.
Not that many will be in Manchester on Monday, July 20, when the first players report back for pre-season, given the World Cup will have only just finished. City usually give their players at least four weeks off in summer, in line with FIFPro recommendations, so most of their squad will be enjoying some needed rest this month.
World Cup Absentees and Returning Stars
There will still be plenty of players looking to impress Maresca though from Guardiola's squad who have not been involved at the World Cup. Gianluigi Donnarumma suffered the pain of Italy not qualifying, while Rico Lewis, Jack Grealish, Kalvin Phillips and Phil Foden were left out of England's plans, Nico Gonzalez did not make the Spain squad and Savinho missed the cut for Brazil.
Adding to those five, City had a number of promising youngsters who all spent last season on loan and should be in Manchester with the new manager unless they are finalising other moves. That includes centre-backs Vitor Reis, Max Alleyne and Juma Bah and attackers Claudio Echeverri, Divine Mukasa and Sverre Nypan.
Young Talents and New Signings
Jeremy Monga could also be reporting for duty if City complete his £12.5m move from Leicester in the next fortnight, as expected. Arsenal were favourites to sign the 16-year-old but haggled over price and City swooped in.
Young goalkeeper Oli Whatmuff will also return to City before the summer tour to Asia despite already completing a loan move to Stockport County for the season. The Blues need numbers for their goalkeepers with James Trafford still at the World Cup, and will use Whatmuff as temporary cover.
Academy Prospects to Watch
Maresca may also choose to bolster his group with academy players. Ryan McAidoo, Reigan Heskey, Harrison Miles and Teddie Lamb all starred in the Under-18s side that won the FA Youth Cup last season with victory over United in the final.
