“Arrive In the Right Way”- Pep Guardiola Sets Expectations For Kevin De Bruyne & Absent Manchester City Stars After Missing Barcelona Game

Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City pre-season friendlies were off to a rough start. AC Milan and Celtic both beat the 2023 Champions League winners on American soil. It is no big surprise, considering Erling Haaland, Jack Grealish, and Ederson are their only core players to feature in the pre-season friendlies. Other big shots including Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, and Rodri missed those games and will miss the coveted Barcelona game as well. But where are they? Few of them have gone on vacations it seems. And boss Pep Guardiola has a cheeky message to those enjoying their holidays.

During a recent interview, the Spanish boss touched up on a myriad of factors revolving around the Manchester City camp. He addressed Julian Alvarez’s impending City exit, stating he’s not considering replacement at the moment. Thereafter, he spoke about players who would join the team after vacations. “Hopefully all the players that arrive late can arrive in the right way. I would not like to see them fatty,” Guardiola said candidly, as compiled by CityXtra on X. 

It is unclear as to which all City players have gone on a tour during this summer. Kevin De Bruyne is one of them. He is continuing his summer tradition by touring Ibiza, Spain with Liverpool star Virgil van Dijk to attend Calvin Harris’s DJ show. The Belgian talisman’s recent Instagram story indicated that he is cruising the serene waters of Ibiza. Meanwhile, Bernardo Silva has also notably embarked on a family trip to Monaco this summer. The Portuguese star shared a picture with his wife and kid, taken during the trip. 

It is quite unsurprising to see an outlandish Guardiola reminding players to be cautious about their fitness. He once attracted infamy for complaining about midfielder Kalvin Phillips’ weight.

Throwback to when Pep Guardiola spoke about Kalvin Phillips’ weight

Back in December 2022, Pep Guardiola did not think twice before telling Kalvin Phillips he was overweight when he rejoined the Manchester City camp after the FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Phillips did admit that he was slightly above his weight target. But the midfielder said the coach could have treated the entire issue differently. Phillips even said Guardiola’s comments were a ‘knock on his confidence.’ He also said the Spanish tactician might have been frustrated over his weight gain.

Anyhow, more than a year after the incident, Pep Guardiola apologized to Kalvin Phillips for his remarks. A similar scenario won’t unfold in the recent incident of players missing pre-season for vacations. De Bruyne and Silva notably toiled for their countries in the UEFA Euro. Hence it is quite obvious of them to miss the pre-season to have some leisure time.