A Manchester City player may be unable to participate in up to ten games as a result of the FIFA change that has caused additional

A Manchester City player may be unable to participate in up to ten games as a result of the FIFA change that has caused additional The Manchester City players are currently anticipating a summer in which their vacation between seasons may be as brief as three weeks.

Following the conclusion of their FIFA Club World Cup campaign in July, the Blues will not participate in a pre-season until the 2025/26 season commences in August. The Blues will not meet the prescribed four-week off-period between seasons if they win the FA Cup and qualify for the 2025 Community Shield by reaching the Club World Cup final.

However, the club is compelled to defend their world title before rushing into the new Premier League season, as FIFA is forging ahead with their controversial expanded Club World Cup and offering nearly £100m in prize money to a club like City. Before the majority of players return to the United States for the 2026 World Cup, the league campaign will span from August 2025 to May 2026. Additionally, FIFA has allocated space in the calendar for the postponed 2025

African Cup of Nations in Morocco, which will provide City striker Omar Marmoush with a busy year.Marmoush is a critical figure for Egypt, which anticipates a competitive effort to secure the African champion title. The tournament was initially scheduled to occur this summer; however, the Club World Cup has taken precedence. Consequently, FIFA has directed the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to conduct AFCON during the winter.

It will now be held in Morocco from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026. Marmoush could potentially miss up to six league games without considering any call-up period prior to the tournament, if the schedule from this season serves as an indicator and the Premier League has committed to providing adequate recuperation over the Christmas break. Mohamed Salah of Liverpool,

Thomas Partey of Arsenal, Nicolas Jackson of Chelsea, and Andre Onana, Amad, and Noussair Mazraoui of Manchester United are among the players who may be absent from critical Premier League matches for their respective clubs as a result of AFCON. Riyad Mahrez has been involved in two editions of the African Cup of Nations during his tenure at City,

including the 2019 edition, during which he led Algeria to the title. The club has previously encountered disruptions as a result of the tournament. However, that tournament was conducted during the summer, and yet he was unable to attend the fixtures in 2021, when it was conducted during the winter.