Manchester City’s players have been told to make a statement for the season when they take on Liverpool at Wembley on Sunday.
Pep Guardiola has reminded the Premier League champions that standards cannot slip after being pushed to the wire by Jurgen Klopp’s side in May.
City and Liverpool shared all four major trophies last season, with Guardiola masterminding an unprecedented domestic treble, while the Merseysiders claimed a sixth Champions League.
They go head-to-head in the Community Shield on Sunday in the traditional curtain raiser.
But Guardiola will not treat the showpiece as a friendly – instead looking for signs that his players are up to the challenge of winning a third straight title and joining Manchester United as the only club in the Premier League era to do so.
He is set to name a strong team as a statement of intent.
Kevin de Bruyne is expected to start after missing the majority of last season through injury.
The Belgium international’s hunger to make up for lost time has been notable during pre-season, and ahead of Wembley, he said: “It’s always important because it’s a trophy you can win and it sets the standard for the whole year.
“You want to set the standard from the beginning.”
Guardiola will run the rule over Sergio Aguero, Gabriel Jesus and Nicolas Otamendi, who only returned to training this week after being given extra time off following the Copa America.
Brazilians Ederson and Fernandinho, as well as Riyad Mahrez, were also given extended breaks.
Benjamin Mendy is still to fully recover from the knee injury that saw him miss the end of the last season, while Aymeric Laporte suffered a knock in training.
New signing Rodri could make his full debut, with Raheem Sterling playing at the point of attack if Aguero and Jesus are only named on the bench.
Predicted lineup
Bravo; Walker, Stones, Garcia, Zinchenko; De Bruyne, Rodri, Silva; Bernardo, Sterling, Sane
