Pep Guardiola Jokes Man City Players Will Use Fridge to Recover over Busy Period

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has said he'll send his players "to the fridge" for recovery between games as the Citizens prepare for a busy winter schedule. 

Unlike some of Europe's other top divisions, the Premier League doesn't have a winter break. City face a particularly tight run of three fixtures against Wolverhampton Wanderers, Sheffield United and Everton over six days across New Year's.

Guardiola joked to reporters that conventional training will be shirked during this period in favour of his own cold-temperature recovery, via BBC Radio Manchester Sport:

The Catalan coach said:

"Players to the fridge. I'm not joking. Go home, open the fridge, and get inside for 48 hours. See you at the Etihad Stadium.

"When I open the fridge to make an omelette maybe I can talk with my players. But apart from that, no way.

"It happened in my first season here. I think we played on December 31 at Anfield and then at home against Burnley (48 hours later). It's not the first time."

Guardiola has been open in the past regarding England's busier calendar during the winter period, much different to previous positions in Spain or Germany, each of which promote football breaks during this time.

The City chief continued and said he feels broadcasters have too much of a say about when matches are played, per the Evening Standard:

City have four more UEFA Champions League group games between now and the end of the year, while they'll also begin their FA Cup campaign at the beginning of January.

It's true that the biggest teams competing for silverware across multiple fronts are bound to encounter difficulties with the number of matches, so much so that a fridge is required to cool off in between games.

City's chief operating officer, Omar Berrada, also found fault with the club's jam-packed schedule, per journalist Sam Lee:

The defending Premier League champions are under huge pressure to cut the distance on Liverpool, who lead the league by eight points, while the club also will be desperate to advance in Europe.

Guardiola & Co. travel to Crystal Palace on Saturday following the international break, and they'll face Atalanta, Aston Villa and Southampton on two occasions over the next fortnight.