Guardiola issues a Christmas warning to Man City’s stars: players must lose weight for the match in Nottingham

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola issued a stern warning to Manchester City players on Saturday before they leave for a three-day Christmas break.

Guardiola, known for his strict coaching regime, said the players will have to make the necessary weight cuts after their holidays.

«The moment they arrive after three days off, I want to see how they come back. They can eat, but I want to control them,» the 54-year-old said after City’s 3-0 win over West Ham United in the Premier League.

He said the players were weighed before Saturday’s win and all passed the test. However, if a player gains more than three kilos over the festive period, he will be excluded from the squad for the clash against Nottingham Forest on December 27.

«The players asked me to keep tomorrow (Sunday) training free and I said no because they weren’t playing well enough. So Sunday recover, train the boys who didn’t play, and after three days off they have two days to prepare.»

«Imagine one player and now he is perfect, but he will gain three kilos more. He will be in Manchester, he will not travel to Nottingham Forest,» he added.

City currently sit second in the Premier League, just two points behind leaders Arsenal. In the UEFA Champions League, the team is fourth with four wins after six games.

Published on December 22, 2025