Manchester City Trio To Miss Pre-Season Tour Of The USA

Manchester City's pre-season preparations have suffered a significant blow.

Pep Guardiola will be without three key players for City's upcoming pre-season tour of the United States.

City, who are going abroad for pre-season for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, are returning to the United States, a destination which has proved popular with the Blues in the past.

The Premier League Champions will play two friendlies during the next week, facing Club America and Bayern Munich.

City come up against Mexican side Club America in Texas on Wednesday, and then play Bayern Munich in the USA Cup in Green Bay, Wisconsin, on Saturday 23rd July.

City start their domestic campaign one week later, kicking-off the season by participating in the annual FA Community Shield, with the Blues playing Liverpool at the King Power Stadium on Saturday 30th July.

Manchester City begin their Premier League title defence away to West Ham United next month.

Guardiola's initial pre-season plans have already suffered a set-back, after SportsMail revealed that three members of the Catalan's squad would not be travelling Stateside for the pre-season tour.

Ilkay Gundogan, Phil Foden and John Stones; three integral members of the City squad, will miss the Blues' two friendlies.

Gundogan, who's two goals helped Manchester City dramatically overcome Aston Villa on the final day of last season to win a fourth Premier League title in five years, had been subject to transfer talk at the start of the summer.

Sami Mokbel reports that no reasons have been given for the three players' impending absence.

Gundogan, Foden and Stones are now expected to join Brian Barry-Murphy's U23s squad, who are remaining in Europe for pre-season preparations.

Numerous other Premier League sides have had players absent from international pre-season tours, with Crystal Palace and Chelsea both missing players.

Summer signings Erling Haaland, Julian Alvarez, Kalvin Phillips and Stefan Ortega are expected to be part of the travelling squad, after the Champions returned to the City Football Academy for the start of pre-season on Monday.

Kalvin Phillips, who completed a £42 million transfer from Leeds United, missed last Sunday's unveiling event at the Etihad Stadium due to illness.

Nathan Ake is also due to fly with the squad to the USA, after it was revealed that the Dutch defender will remain at the club this summer despite intense interest from Chelsea.

Oleksandr Zinchenko's future is however in doubt, with reports suggesting that Arsenal are hoping to bring the Ukraine captain to the Emirates Stadium this summer.

Manchester City are scheduled to fly to Houston for their pre-season tour on Saturday 17th July.