Pep Guardiola has admitted he is unsure the impact the Club World Cup will have on his team in the next Premier League season.
Manchester City have already advanced to the knockout rounds of the competition and have set up a tasty looking tie with Al-Hilal, but should they advance to the final, the Sky Blues will be in America for another two weeks yet.
Liverpool and Arsenal, the two teams to finish ahead of them in the league last season, are not due to return to pre-season training until at least July 7th, and Man City may yet have two Club World Cup fixtures to go after that.
Pep Guardiola admits he is unsure what impact reaching the Club World Cup final may have on Man City next season
Guardiola has stated that he is using the tournament as a way for his side to find their level again after an underwhelming season where they failed to win a trophy.
In a press conference before the game against Al-Hilal he said, "I try to relax, enjoy the days here and the good vibes that we have, the competition and we try to win it.
"The most important thing is to recover and find within ourselves what we were. That's my main target in this tournament.
"I want them to feel that this is our path again to be competitive like we have been in eight of the last nine years."
However, the final of the Club World Cup is set for July 13th, just one month before the Premier League season kicks-off, and Guardiola has admitted he is unsure what affect that may have on his side as the new season gets underway.
"After this, let's see what happens. Let's see what happens after the final. We will rest for the time the Premier League allow us," he said.
"Maybe in November, December or January it will be a disaster, we are exhausted and the World Cup has destroyed us.
"I don't know, it's the first time in our lives that this has happened. We will see when we come back."
England boss Thomas Tuchel stated he believes Manchester City and Chelsea's involvement in the Club World Cup would give Liverpool and Arsenal a "huge advantage" in next seasons title race.
Manchester City next face Al-Hilal for a place in the quarter-finals. Should they win, and Inter Milan get past Fluminense, they'll face off against the team they beat to win the Champions League in 2023.
If they were to reach the semi-final, they could face Chelsea, and then the final could see them face off against one of PSG, Bayern Munich or Real Madrid, a mouth watering prospect.
