Manchester City’s Christmas Joy Cut Short As Guardiola Demands Stars Face Harsh Festive Fitness Test

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola enforces a Christmas weigh‑in, teasing strict fitness checks before Forest clash.

Manchester City's players face a Christmas Day weigh-in to check they have not over-indulged over the festive period -- with Pep Guardiola warning they will be dropped if they have piled on the pounds.

City enjoyed a comfortable 3-0 win over Premier League strugglers West Ham on Saturday to keep the pressure on leaders Arsenal.

But Guardiola, who has won six league titles during his spell at the Etihad, is famously demanding, revealing his men had been weighed before their short break.

"Every player makes a weight," said the City boss. "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."

The Spaniard said players who returned to the club overweight would not play against Forest on December 27.

"Imagine one player and now he's perfect but he will arrive with three kilos more. He will (stay) in Manchester," he said. "He will not travel to Nottingham Forest."

Guardiola said it was important his men relaxed during a packed calendar as he heads to Barcelona for a brief rest.

"The schedule is so tight and the players have to forget," he said. "The more they arrive in the right moment (the better). The moment of the game they will be fresh in the legs.

"The players have to go with the families and forget football. It's good. For them to see the manager every day -- that's so tough."

The famously exacting City boss refused his players a day off after their win on Saturday, unhappy with the level of performance despite a fifth straight league victory.

"The players asked me to take a day off. I said, 'No because you didn't play good enough,' he said.

“So Sunday recovery, train the guys that didn't play, and after three days off they have two days to prepare for Nottingham Forest.”

© Agence France-Presse (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)