Chelsea

Guardiola reveals plans for Man City squad selection vs Chelsea in UCL final

Pep Guardiola reveals criteria for selecting Manchester City starting XI vs Chelsea in Champions League final

Speaking in an interview this weekend (h/t Mirror), Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola admitted that he will analyse Chelsea and use the next two games as auditions to decide his starting XI in the UEFA Champions League final

City have already won the Premier League and have the luxury of resting players until the showpiece occasion on 29th May. The Blues, on the other hand, find themselves in a tight spot in the race for top 4.

Amid this, the Spanish manager has said that his players would ‘kill’ him in order to start against Chelsea. But he mentioned what criteria he will deploy in order to pick his starting XI on the biggest day in City’s history.

Thomas Tuchel (L) has beaten Manchester City twice in a month. (imago Images)

“They all want it – and they will kill me to play. I know that and it’s nice. It will be an incredibly tough decision for me, but I have to analyse the opponent and then decide.”

According to Guardiola, he will use City’s remaining Premier League games and training sessions to adjudge who deserves to play against a staunch Chelsea side that has become a force to reckon with since Tuchel took charge. City face Brighton & Hove Albion on Tuesday before their GW38 encounter against Everton on Sunday.

“This is a job. I’m sorry. Not everyone can play. So, from now, I am going to observe the two games and the training sessions. I have to see the way I want to play, the way I want to defend, the mentality of the players, the guys who handle the pressure better than the other ones. And in that moment I will try to be honest with myself and the team and make the best selection possible.”

Pep Guardiola admitted that no one has a free pass to make the Manchester City starting XI against Chelsea in the Champions League final.

So, for Chelsea fans, keeping an eye on City’s next two games can give an idea of who Pep will pick to start. The number 9 position and their full-backs are largely the spots that Pep could have the most confusion about.

More Chelsea News:

The Blues will have selection headaches of their own but Tuchel has settled in well with his new 3-4-2-1 formation and seems to have an idea of his best starting XI, something which Frank Lampard probably did not during his last few months at the club.

Aniket Rai

Just a football fan, doing what he loves.

Recent Posts

Chelsea star backed to make Old Trafford switch; ‘fresh opportunity’ on the cards

Jadon Sancho has hit the ground running in his season-long loan at Chelsea, with the Blues eyeing a permanent deal…

5 days ago

Chelsea star to push for Stamford Bridge exit; Manchester United keen

Chelsea appear to be rediscovering their form under Enzo Maresca, aiming for a top-four finish as they currently sit third…

5 days ago

Chelsea are eager to make a massive move for Barcelona right-back

In their bid to further bolster their defense, Chelsea are aiming to make a big move for the star right-back…

7 days ago

Chelsea unwilling to sanction sale of 10-goal star to Premier League rival

Christopher Nkunku is keen to leave Chelsea in January over lack of game time in the Premier League There has…

1 week ago

Chelsea lead the race for 23-goal European star to address striking woes

Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres is on the radar of Chelsea Chelsea are riding high in the Premier League, sitting…

1 week ago

Chelsea shortlist two names as Maresca keen to strengthen one key area

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca eyeing defensive reinforcements in January Chelsea could well find themselves in the market to improve their…

1 week ago