sends out a much-changed team for their clash with on Sunday afternoon, saying some players need a rest and others deserve minutes.
After Arsenal lost to Nottingham Forest on Saturday, City have already wrapped up their third straight Premier League title so there is nothing on the match with the Blues.
They also have the FA Cup final against Manchester United coming up on 3 June followed by the Champions League final against Inter Milan on 10 June as they look to complete an immense treble.
It is little surprise that the likes of Erling Haaland, Kevin De Bruyne, Rodri, John Stones and Ruben Dias have all been rested as a result, with the likes of Kalvin Phillips, Rico Lewis, Cole Palmer and Sergio Gomez coming in.
Guardiola said that these players have been unlucky to miss out, while others have been put through the ringer in the Champions League and on a fabulous run in the Premier League so are in need of a rest.
‘One of the biggest disappointments I think you have as a manager is with the people who don’t play regularly. For me it’s tough,’ Guardiola told Sky Sports.
‘Sergio, especially, two incredible personalities, how they help us in their behaviours. Maybe they didn’t have the minutes they deserve.
‘So when the situation is done, I’m delighted to play them. That doesn’t mean they’re going to play the next games.
‘The players like today, they rest because they played a lot of minutes in the last few weeks with a lot of tension and adrenaline in the highest level.
‘For me, it’s important for them to rest one game, everyone play a few minutes and get ready for the next two games because we cannot drop much our rhythm, otherwise the finals will be more difficult.’
Guardiola certainly seems relaxed about the clash with Chelsea as nothing is really on the line, saying there had not been a great deal of preparation for it.
‘We were not all together yesterday in our training centre. Today was the first time we were together,’ he explained.
‘Not just the players but our staff, our chairman was here, our sporting director, our CEO, they made speeches for all of us and were incredibly happy like we are.
‘We didn’t have a meeting today, arrived here to see the line-up from Frank [Lampard] and whether they play four or five in the back, the shape they are going to play.
‘We talked a little bit the way we have to move and try to finish well our last game at home.’
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