Manchester City smarting over Sunday date for Chelsea FA Cup clash

Pellegrini is also aware that that if City do progress in the FA Cup they will face a fixture backlog because two Premier League games will be postponed if they play in the sixth round and semi-finals. I love to talk about tactics – three at the back, four at the back and so on. “There are respectable papers here who have not asked me a single question on football in three years”.

If the FA do not agree to playing it on Saturday Pellegrini will retaliate by playing a team packed with young players because progress in the Champions League is more important to the club.

“We know they can pay wages that no other club in Europe has the power to do”.

His immediate concern is today’s encounter at the Etihad Stadium, where his side can overhaul surprise challengers Leicester City at the Premier League summit with a win. My way is to try to play every competition with the best team. That’s not so many for so many games. “It will be a minimum of three weeks”. “I always told the players that we must believe in what we are doing because the results are there to prove it”, he said. He’s improving a lot but it’s an inflammation of the bone which is bringing him a lot of pain.

“If we play on the Sunday, we have to put Manchester City’s interests first”.

It is understood a Friday night game was considered but this would not have fitted with the BBC’s schedule.

“He has shown what a fantastic player he is and, more importantly, he is part of a fantastic group”.

“Of course, it would upset me to play a weakened team”.

The dream scenario of rounding off his Bayern reign with a Champions League, Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal treble is still achievable, and Guardiola insisted his focus is still very much on his work in Germany.

“I don’t know if you can compare but what we did at Villarreal was similar”. After the FA Cup tie at Chelsea and the Champions League clash away to Dynamo, they take on Liverpool at Wembley in the Capital One Cup final on Sunday, February 28 (kick-off 4.30pm) before facing Jurgen Klopp’s Reds again at Anfield in the Premier League on Wednesday, March 2.

But City’s assured performance at Sunderland suggested otherwise and that ability to concentrate on the game ahead, rather than focusing too far into the future, is what will see them through the campaign, according to defender Gael Clichy.

The news comes two months after a consortium of high-profile Chinese investors acquired a 13% stake, worth a reported £265m, in the club’s holding company.