Pep Guardiola: English clubs facing 'crazy' post World Cup 2022 schedule

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has spoken of a "crazy" match schedule that is "too much" for players as the mid-season World Cup approaches.

City on Wednesday host Chelsea in the third round of the Carabao Cup, their penultimate game before the World Cup in Qatar that runs from 20 November to 18 December.

The Carabao Cup fourth round is scheduled for the week commencing December 19, and the Premier League then returns with fixtures on St Stephen's Day, with City set to play Leeds two days later.

Guardiola was asked at his pre-match press conference prior to the Chelsea tie if he felt it was "a bit ridiculous" to have the next round being played so soon after the World Cup.

And he said: "What can I say? Everyone agrees with the word that you used. And (you have to) adapt.

"A long time ago I accepted what it is. In Germany they start 20 January, their first game after the World Cup. We start on 26 December. I don't know when the games against Spurs and Arsenal will be scheduled.

"It is what it is. Better not to think about it, play tomorrow’s game and try to win it – that’s the best way. No complaints, and go.

"If they decide to put a game in that stage, just right after (the World Cup), and we (don’t) have international, World Cup players, OK we will play with the academy. When we arrive there, we’ll see what is the situation."

When Guardiola was then asked about the potential impact of the season on players and if it might not be seen until later in the campaign, he said: "I think the target of all the clubs will be the amount of energy you spend in the training sessions to be perfect.

"I have the feeling that it will be just recover the players, recover the players, recover the players, to the next game, the next game, the