Pep Guardiola has cancelled Manchester City's training session on Monday morning, just a day before their crucial Champions League second-leg match against Real Madrid. City trail 3-0 on aggregate after a heavy defeat at the Bernabeu last week.
The squad was scheduled to train on Monday following a 1-1 draw away at West Ham on Saturday evening, but the open session was called off. Guardiola has employed this tactic before, cancelling a session last November before a Champions League match against Borussia Dortmund, which City won 4-1.
City will provide UEFA with 15 minutes of footage from Sunday's training session for broadcasters, focusing all efforts on Tuesday to ensure fresh minds and bodies. Guardiola said after the West Ham draw: 'If they don't believe [in a comeback], it's a problem. They are adults. They have good salaries. If they don't believe in that in the Champions League, go home, stay home.'
He added: 'We have to try. What do we have to lose? Madrid never came back in history? I don't know how many, 50 Champions League games, they never came back from 3-0?' Guardiola hopes his well-rested team can overturn the three-goal deficit.
