Pep Guardiola WARNS Manchester City players of selection consequences if they return overweight

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has issued warning to any player who comes back to training overweight after Christmas will be left out of the squad. He also said that his players have to look after their diet during the festive period, ahead of their encounter against Nottingham Forest.

Big warning from Guardiola to Manchester City players

Guardiola went on to reveal that he will check the player's weight after the Christmas break, saying:

"Every player makes a weight. They come back on the 25th, and I will be there controlling how many kilos come up, [to see if] they come fatty. The moment they arrive after three days, I want to see how they come back. They can eat, but I want to control them."

Guardiola added:

"I have to make a selection for 27 (December) against Nottingham Forest. Imagine one player, and now he’s perfect, but he will arrive with three kilos more. He will (stay) in Manchester. He will not travel to Nottingham Forest."

City are set to face Nottingham Forest on Saturday, December 27. An encounter that would be the last game of the 2025 calendar year.

Meanwhile, Manchester City has been in hot form in recent months and are arguably one of the Premier League title contenders. Hence, Guardiola might be trying to avoid a situation that could make his team lose points.

Pep Guardiola sends warning to rivals

Pep Guardiola has claimed that Manchester City could win the Premier League title if the players follow his game plan. He also cautioned that his players need to level up their game if they want to win the 2025-26 Premier League champions.

In an interview after their 3-0 win against West Ham United last weekend, Guardiola spoke about his team's chances of winning the title. He said:

"Yeah, we will be there. If they follow me, we will be there. But we have to improve!. The spirit is there, we didn’t have that last season, the aggression, the hunger - all these things and attributes that they need. Not about the highlights…But the next step, hopefully Rodri is back, we have to do better!”

Manchester City are ranked second in the Premier League standings, having registered 37 points from 17 league games. They are likewise two points behind leaders Arsenal in the title race. Thus, they have a fair chance of securing the title if they stay consistent in the second half of the season.