Pep Guardiola has granted Manchester City players a day off on Monday ahead of their crucial Champions League second leg against Real Madrid. The Premier League champions trail 3-0 from the first leg and must overturn the deficit at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday to stay in the competition.
The decision comes after a demanding schedule that saw City return from Madrid last week before travelling to London for a 1-1 draw with West Ham on Saturday. That result, combined with Arsenal's win, left Guardiola's side further behind in the Premier League title race.
City underwent a recovery session on Sunday following the West Ham match, and Guardiola has opted to give players Monday off to ensure fresh minds and bodies for Tuesday's final rehearsal. The club will send 15 minutes of footage from Sunday's session to UEFA for broadcasters as part of the arrangement.
This is not the first time Guardiola has taken such an approach. In November, City had a similar day off before a Champions League game against Borussia Dortmund following a demanding match against Bournemouth. 'Bournemouth was so demanding that I prefer they stay at home and tomorrow morning we train,' Guardiola said at the time.
After the Real Madrid clash, City will prepare for the Carabao Cup final against Arsenal at Wembley, followed by an FA Cup quarter-final with Liverpool on April 4.
