Manchester City are considering whether to play a friendly game this week as they prepare for their Champions League encounter with Real Madrid.
Pep Guardiola gave his players a few days off before the redundant Premier League game with Norwich ahead of a two-week training camp aimed at knowing everything they possibly can about the dangers that Real will pose. The manager has warned that they cannot afford to take their focus off the side he has called the kings of the competition owing to their unrivalled success.
City played an 11-a-side friendly within their own squad ahead of the Premier League restart both to keep the health risk low and so that they could better communicate their own ideas.
Guardiola had indicated that the second team could be used to do similar ahead of Real Madrid - more youngsters have been brought into senior training in recent weeks - as the squad run through various match situations.
The club's director of football didn't specify whether a team would be invited in or it would be done in-house but did suggest that a friendly is in their thinking as part of their planning for what will be their biggest game of the campaign.
“Everyone wants to play in that game, they are training for that and it is good to compete," Txiki Begiristain explained during the Norwich match.
"The game against Watord and now this is the last one. We’ll maybe play a friendly behind closed doors next weekend and that will help to get fit for Real Madrid."
