Manchester City are bracing for a challenging surface at Wembley as manager Pep Guardiola openly acknowledged the toll of a gruelling schedule on his players. The City boss is still deliberating over his starting lineup for Friday's FA Cup semi-final against Southampton, planning to finalise the team during the train journey to London.
Selection Dilemmas and Injury Concerns
Guardiola confirmed that Rodri will miss the match due to a groin problem, but he appeared uncertain about which members of his preferred starting XI could feature again after demanding victories over Arsenal and Burnley earlier this week. Southampton, who are chasing promotion from the Championship, are unbeaten in 20 matches and recently knocked Arsenal out of the FA Cup in the quarter-finals.
Guardiola's concerns about player fatigue are compounded by the state of the Wembley pitch. He noted, "Arsenal was so demanding emotionally, it's normal. Three days later [Burnley], three days later [Southampton]. Our people were so, so tired. Then take a train, three hours from here to the hotel. Always the grass is thick. Many thoughts I still have in my mind."
City players have previously complained about playing surfaces, with Ruben Dias and Kyle Walker both criticising the pitch at Nottingham Forest in recent seasons. James Trafford is set to start in goal, while John Stones, Savinho, and Tijjani Reijnders are pushing for places in the lineup.
Rotation and Squad Morale
Guardiola admitted that some squad members are disappointed with his recent lack of rotation, having stuck with the same 11 players for the biggest games. "The players who don't [play] aren't too much happy," he said. "Because, you know, the last games we have long weeks. I rotate less. In the last five, six games, we conceded one goal. Now I have to think about it because today people on the second day [after Burnley], always tired and we are a little bit drained."
He added that physios have warned him about the risk of injury to certain players. "Some physios told me be careful of that player, that player, for the history, for the potential injury. If one player is injured right now, it's gone, it is over. And now I want to have the players available for Everton until the end."
Ticket Price Freeze Praised
Meanwhile, Guardiola, who is aiming to reach a fourth consecutive FA Cup final, praised the club's hierarchy for freezing season and general admission ticket prices. Most Premier League clubs have increased prices for supporters, but City's decision follows months of talks with their fan representative board.
Kevin Parker, general secretary of the Official Supporters' Club, said he was "gobsmacked" by the unexpected news and hopes rival clubs will follow suit. Guardiola believes the move sends a positive message. "Hats off to my chairman and chief executive," he said. "This business does not work without the fans. It would be like how it was in Covid time. The club needs resources to buy the best players possible but when the club thinks they can find [finance] another way, it means a lot. It shows how special this club is."
