Samir Nasri left out due to weight issues, says Manchester Citys Pep Guardiola | Manchester City
Samir Nasri left out due to weight issues, says Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola
This article is more than 7 years old ‘Sami arrived a little bit overweight but he’s much better now’
Manchester City manager admits interest in Leroy Sané and John Stones
Pep Guardiola said Samir Nasri did not play in Manchester City’s two friendlies in China because the Frenchman was overweight when he returned for pre-season.
On Thursday City beat Borussia Dortmund 6-5 in a penalty shootout in Shenzhen after drawing 1-1, Sergio Agüero’s 76th-minute goal being cancelled out by Christian Pulisic’s last-minute equaliser.
They lost at 1-0 at Bayern Munich last week with Nasri not among the 23 players used by Guardiola in two games.
Guardiola, who will not let overweight players train with the first team and has banned some foods, including pizza, said: “Sami arrived a little bit overweight but he’s much better now. Still there is a little bit of weight. Last season he was injured and we want to avoid that.
“The players that are on the pitch they are fit, their weight is in the right place to arrive at many minutes like Tosin [Adarabioyo] today or like Fernandinho or like Kolarov and all the other ones. But hopefully in the next two weeks he will be right with us.”
The manager is pleased with his players’ application in general. “I have no complaints about the team, the opposite, I’m really surprised,” he said. “The fans can be so proud.”
Guardiola admitted interest in Schalke’s Leroy Sané and Everton’s John Stones. “You know, I know, everyone knows we would like to have Sané but at the moment he is a Schalke player. If he comes we’ll be happy, if he stays in Schalke I will be happy for the fans and for the Schalke club. Same answer for Stones. He is an Everton player. Everybody knows we’re going to try but I don’t know what’s going to happen.
“I’m very happy with the squad we have, in the way they train and play. That’s all I can say.”
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