Manuel Akanji has made a stark comparability between the calls for of Premier League footballers and different figures throughout the sport.
Manchester Metropolis are rising from a hard run of fixtures all through the winter weeks, recording a much-needed away win at Leicester Metropolis to shut out 2024 and produce an finish to a long-standing run of matches away from residence with out victory.
Objectives from Savinho and Erling Haaland recorded all three factors on the King Energy Stadium previous to the flip of the yr, giving Manchester Metropolis supporters some hope of a second-half turnaround in fortunes within the season.
Metropolis followers may also be hoping that the New 12 months brings about a greater run in terms of availability of gamers within the first-team squad, with accidents and health issues hampering the numbers obtainable to Pep Guardiola.
Talking throughout a latest interview, Manuel Akanji pointed in direction of the winter breaks which are being loved by footballers throughout Europe, compared to the calls for of these within the Premier League particularly all through this era of the yr.
“We performed with the squad like this for 2 years since I used to be right here and it labored. We’ve had a number of accidents, so it’s not simple in the intervening time. Even now we’ll discover a method, come out of this and luck will come once more on our facet,” Akanji stated in reference to Metropolis’s latest health struggles.
He continued, “Everyone needs to remain match, no person needs to be injured, however an important factor is that gamers who’re wholesome want to remain wholesome. Nevertheless it’s not all the time that simple while you play so many matches a yr and also you don’t actually have time to get better.
“I’ve associates of mine who’re on holidays now recovering for the second a part of the season – we don’t have that. We have to attempt to discover a method that these gamers enjoying now keep wholesome in order that we will get the opposite guys again and rotate a bit extra and relaxation those that have to relaxation.”
Manchester Metropolis will return to their matchday routines when West Ham United go to the Etihad Stadium on Saturday afternoon, in what’s going to mark the primary of numerous high-profile fixtures to start the New 12 months.
Salford Metropolis then make the quick journey throughout central Manchester for an FA Cup third spherical tie in opposition to Pep Guardiola’s facet, whereas January additionally presents two mammoth and must-win UEFA Champions League video games away to PSG and at residence to Membership Brugge on the finish of the month.
