- Manchester City will face United at Old Trafford on December 10
- City take on Shakhtar Donetsk in a deadrubber on the Wednesday before
- Pep Guardiola will still expect his side to be physically ready for United
Pep Guardiola’s preparations for the Manchester derby will include spending four days in Ukraine next week.
Manchester City face Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League on Wednesday – and will arrive in Kharkiv 48 hours before the deadrubber.
Guardiola’s squad are set for a recovery session at the club’s training base on Monday morning following the Premier League clash against West Ham.
Manchester City’s players will spend four days in Ukraine preparing for the tie with United
Guardiola will be keen to keep his City side fresh for the challenge that United will provide
They will board a four-hour flight before training in sub-zero temperatures during an extended stay and are due to jet back to the North West on Thursday afternoon.
Already cemented as group winners, City could leave big names back home in the days prior to this season’s first fixture with Manchester United.
In contrast to rival Jose Mourinho, Guardiola has decided to postpone flights to Manchester until the day after European matches in both Rotterdam and Naples. His players have undergone light sessions at their team hotel and that will continue in Kharkiv.
Jose Mourinho welcomes City to Old Trafford on December 10 in the Premier League