Man City issue forceful statement after Sheffield United Premier League game rescheduled

Pep Guardiola’s men were due to face Wolves on Boxing Day but this has been pushed back to December 27, kicking off at 7.45pm.

This gives them less than 48 hours to prepare for their game against Chris Wilder’s side at the Etihad, which now will be played at 6pm on Sunday, December 29.

Guardiola’s men now have a tighter turnaround over the festiver period than any other team in the league and the rearrangement could help rivals Liverpool.

The reschedule means Wolves will have less time to preapre for their trip to Anfield and Liverpool have been given an extra 24 hours to prepare for the game.

Omar Berrada, Chief Operating Officer of City, told MEN Sport: “We’re disappointed that the schedule is so tight for the players over Christmas. Premier League games are a huge physical demand, and it’s not ideal to be made to play twice in less than 48 hours because it doesn’t give the players time to properly recover.

“We obviously understand that the paying rights-holding broadcasters are an important consideration when it comes to scheduling, but we also need to make sure that we protect the players’ wellbeing, the sporting integrity of the league, and the quality of the product.

“We’ve had an open dialogue with the league to consider other options, but ultimately, we will have to comply with the kick off times and dates as they have been presented to us.”

According to the MEN, City bosses did explore the possibility of pushing the Sheffield United game back but the request was not accepted.