Pep Guardiola has Man City fears ahead of Man Utd and Liverpool duel – It is impossible

Transfer update: City 'to end Kane chase' if they land Grealish

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Pep Guardiola says Covid interruptions and the international summer have left his and Manchester City’s pre-season preparations in tatters.

The defending Premier League champions are braced to go toe-to-toe with neighbours Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea for this season’s title in what could be an enthralling campaign.

The City boss watched a side missing several big names ease past Blackpool 4-1 in a friendly at the Academy Stadium on Tuesday night.

But Guardiola questioned whether his side will be able to take anything meaningful from the build-up to their title defence.

“Now is a completely different world for all the managers. We don’t have time,” said Guardiola after goals from Samuel Edozie, Riyad Mahrez and two from Ilkay Gundogan saw off the Tangerines.

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“Sometimes we think what is the reason why the managers are here in pre-season because we have three players, after a few days we have five, then after a few more days we have three or four more.

“Sometimes one of them has to be isolated because they fly on a plane with 150 people and one of them tested positive so they have to isolate for eight days.

“One week later, another one. But we just adapt. Before, it was three, four, five weeks to prepare the concepts. Today it is impossible.

“The weeks go on and thanks to the games we get the condition because we don’t have time and cannot speak about the ideas that we want to play because in two or three weeks we will start to be all together.

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“It is a little bit strange but we have to adapt. it is what it is.”

Guardiola has had however a chance to run the rule over some of his academy prospects and he had high praise for 18-year-old winger Edozie who bagged his third goal of pre-season.

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“He’s a young talent with special quality. He’s a guy who gets to the box with the intention to score a goal,” said Guardiola.

“It is so important for the winger. He’s an incredible young player with good pace so be patient with him, he had minutes and he played good.”

City face Leicester in the Community Shield on Saturday (5.15pm) before taking on Tottenham the following Sunday in their Premier League opener (4.30pm).

The Citizens are currently attempting to rob Spurs of talismanic striker Harry Kane but are having difficulty signing the £150million-rated England captain.

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