Manchester City began pre-season training this week, with the majority of the first-team squad confirmed to be back at the City Football Academy.

Manchester City fans finally got a glimpse of the start of pre-season training this week after three days of anticipation.

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City players returned to training on Monday, but it took until Wednesday to see who had returned to the City Football Academy. Fans were treated to footage of Mateo Kovacic’s first day at the club, as he met his new teammates and management after joining from Chelsea for £25 million.

 

City’s preseason preparations are currently underway, despite uncertainty surrounding the futures of several veteran players. Bernardo Silva still wants to leave if at all feasible, and Aymeric Laporte and Joao Cancelo may be searching for ways out as well. Kyle Walker and Riyad Mahrez are both said to be on the verge of quitting the club, and Mahrez was the only player who did not appear in City’s film documenting their return to training.

 

In between massages with City’s medical team, Erling Haaland appeared to be in good spirits, cracking jokes with Jack Grealish, Julian Alvarez, and Maximo Perrone.

We went through the footage to find five talking topics from City’s return to preseason training.

The first day of Kovacic’s career

Mateo Kovacic, the new midfielder who replaced Ilkay Gundogan, was the center of attention. Kovacic was seen greeting his new colleagues before heading to the practice field and participating in team drills.

During a break, cameras captured manager Pep Guardiola take Kovacic to one side for a few moments to convey a message to the Croatian. City will see Kovacic for the first time this weekend when they face Yokohama in Tokyo on Sunday.

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Key players’ fitness levels have been updated.

Erling Haaland appeared to be among the first players returning on Monday, receiving a massage while others arrived to congratulate him. He was spotted greeting Grealish, Phil Foden, and Alvarez while receiving medical attention before conducting testing in the gym.

City have been careful to maintain Haaland’s fitness throughout his first year at the club, so it’s not surprising that he’s seeking medical attention at the start of preseason after a five-week break.

There was also a glimpse of Kevin De Bruyne, who walked freely into the training site to express optimism about his hamstring injury, which was worsened in the Champions League final.

Cancelo has returned.

Joao Cancelo appeared to have played his final game for the club in January, departing on loan to Bayern Munich after falling down the pecking order. Bayern chose not to exercise the option to buy Cancelo on a permanent basis, thus he remains a City player and returned to the club this week.

Cancelo could still leave, however he was seen during testing and on the field with his colleagues. He wrote a cryptic message on Tuesday about believing in oneself and ‘forgetting the rest,’ before being named to the pre-season squad on Wednesday.

If he is unable to find a new club, he might meet previous loan club Bayern Munich next week in Tokyo.

Mahrez is not present.

Riyad Mahrez was left out of City’s tour squad to Japan on Wednesday as he moves closer to a £30 million move to Al-Ahli in Saudi Arabia. That most certainly explains Mahrez’s absence from City’s video of their first day back, making him the sole first-team player who did not appear.

Players such as Kyle Walker, Aymeric Laporte, and Bernardo Silva have all been linked with exits, but all appeared pleased to be back in the fold, with all traveling to Asia. City are unsure on whether to sign a replacement for Mahrez, allowing Foden, Cole Palmer, and Julian Alvarez to shine throughout pre-season.

Palmer and Gomez are back.

Surprisingly, both Cole Palmer and Sergio Gomez were back at City, looking eager to start the season. Both players competed in the under-21 European Championship final just 10 days ago, leaving them with only one week of rest between the end of the previous season and the start of the current one.

Pre-season will be an opportunity for both to stake a claim to play more than they did last season, so their improved fitness could help their chances.

Gomez loudly chastised Palmer following England’s winning goal in the aftermath of the final. Palmer’s free shot was deflected into the net, and he ran towards the Spain bench after some violent tackles. Gomez took issue with the celebration, so the two may have had to clear things up on Monday before heading off for the tour.