After Man City Vs Preston North End Guardiola Hopes Newly Joined Players Can Practice Without Quarantine

Manchester City (Instagram @mancity)

JAKARTA - Manchester City have just had their first pre-season friendly, winning 2-0 against second tier team Preston North End at Manchester City Academy Stadium, Manchester, England, Tuesday local time.

Riyad Mahrez and Samuel Edozie scored two winning goals in a match that marked a wave of several City first-team players returning from their summer break.

The full match replay of tonight's win is now available on CITY+ ️🔷 #ManCity | https://t.co/axa0klD5re

— Manchester City (@ManCity) July 27, 2021

Nathan Ake, Joao Cancelo, Ruben Dias and Benjamin Mendy have just finished playing for their respective countries at Euro 2020 and have had 45 minutes to return to their competitive fitness.

Ake, Cancelo, Dias and goalkeeper Zack Steffen even returned to training the day before the pre-season game against Preston.

Coach Pep Guardiola revealed that City's other first-team players can also train directly without undergoing self-quarantine when returning from their respective country duties in the Euro 2020 and Copa America 2021 international competitions.

"We have to adapt immediately. Including with only three or four players from the first team," Guardiola said after the match, quoted by City's official website.

"Every week there are players who come back, hopefully they can start training right away and don't need to rest or go into self-quarantine.

"I know we don't have much time because in 11 days we will appear in the Community Shield," he added.

Words from the boss #ManCity | https://t.co/axa0klD5re pic.twitter.com/HaIIUxjerb

— Manchester City (@ManCity) July 27, 2021

City have one more pre-season game against Barnsley on Saturday, 1 August, before opening English football with a Community Shield appearance.

With the status of defending English Premier League champions, City will face FA Cup winners Leicester City in the opening ceremonial match for the 2021/22 season at Wembley Stadium, London, 1 August.