"He will stay in Manchester" - Pep Guardiola warns Manchester City stars about punishment if they return'fatty' after Christmas

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has warned that any player who returns to training overweight after Christmas will be left out of the squad. He added that his players have to monitor their diet during the festive period, ahead of their encounter against Nottingham Forest.

Guardiola went on to reveal that he will monitor the player's weight after the Christmas break, saying, (via SPORTbible):

"Every player makes a weight. They come back on the 25th, and I will be there controlling how many kilos come up, [to see if] they come fatty. The moment they arrive after three days, I want to see how they come back. They can eat, but I want to control them."

Guardiola continued:

"I have to make a selection for 27 (December) against Nottingham Forest. Imagine one player, and now he’s perfect, but he will arrive with three kilos more. He will (stay) in Manchester. He will not travel to Nottingham Forest."

The Citizens are set to take on Nottingham Forest on Saturday, December 27. An encounter that would be their final game of the 2025 calendar year.

Meanwhile, Manchester City has been consistent in recent months and are arguably one of the Premier League title contenders. Hence, Guardiola might be trying to avoid a situation that could make his team drop points.

"We will be there. If they follow me - Pep Guardiola on Manchester City's chance of winning the Premier League title

Manchester City v West Ham United - Premier League - Source: Getty

Pep Guardiola has revealed that Manchester City could win the Premier League title if the players stick to his instructions. He also cautioned that his players need to enhance their performance if they want to be crowned the 2025-26 Premier League champions.

In an interview after their 3-0 win over West Ham United last weekend, Guardiola spoke about his side's chances of winning the title. He said (via City Xtra on X):

"Yeah, we will be there. If they follow me, we will be there. But we have to improve!. The spirit is there, we didn’t have that last season, the aggression, the hunger - all these things and attributes that they need. Not about the highlights…But the next step, hopefully Rodri is back, we have to do better!”

Manchester City are ranked second in the Premier League standings, having registered 37 points from 17 league games. They are likewise two points behind leaders Arsenal in the title race. Thus, they have a decent chance of winning the title if they remain consistent in the second half of the season.

Edited by Abel Yisa