"The important thing is the players are revitalised after three days. We've had a lot of months with few days off - games every weekend and midweek. For the players it's really good, they have a long week to rest, to forget [about football] and to train good. And they trained good in the last few days."
Manchester City prepares to face Newcastle United at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, 21st February 2026. Brazilian winger Savinho returns to the squad after recovering from an injury sustained on New Year's Day at Sunderland, while Jeremy Doku remains unavailable. Manager Pep Guardiola emphasized the value of the midweek break, noting that the rare gap in fixtures allowed players essential rest and recovery time after months of consecutive weekend and midweek matches. The team trained well during this period and players are revitalized. City enters the match in strong form with a record of four wins and one draw, while Newcastle has won two consecutive matches but suffered two recent losses.
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