Pep Guardiola said it was "unfair" that Carabao Cup competitions had been arranged just days after the competition's final in Qatar and predicted that teams would be forced to count the cost of a "crazy" World Cup later in the campaign.

The manager of Manchester City, an outspoken opponent of football's jam-packed schedule, worries that teams may need to prepare for an onslaught of injuries in the season's final few months as the toll of a winter World Cup sets in.

"I think the main focus for all the clubs will be the amount of energy the players actually spend in training sessions to be suitable," Guardiola said. "Because that is how they can return back from of the World Cup."

"I have a sense that the players will probably need a shower massage, shower and massage to get ready for the next game. It's insane. For the players, there are numerous games. For me, it's not an issue since I have two weeks off, however for the players, it's too much because we are in Abu Dhabi [for a training camp].

"Consider at how numerous injuries there were before the World Cup; afterward, no one really knows [the impact], given that it's the first instance [this has transpired]."

When we get to the later stages in March and April, I have a strong feeling we'll have to pay close attention to how the players are feeling because I believe the team that has had more time to rest and recover will have a better chance of winning games.

"The seasons are too long, and you keep accumulating. That's the truth.

With the round-of-16 games planned for that final midweek before Xmas time, City will face Chelsea in the Carabao Cup third round tonight. If they win, they will face the possibility of a fourth-round match a couple of days just after World Cup final on December 18.

If they defeat Chelsea, Guardiola acknowledged that he would be forced to pitch a large number of academy graduates and joked that he might even need to use some of his physiotherapists. The news that Kalvin Phillips will play tonight was verified by him, which was good news for England boss Gareth Southgate.

The midfielder only played 14 minutes of football this season before undergoing shoulder surgery at the beginning of last month.

The city manager responded when asked if he thought the circumstances around the timetable were absurd, "Everyone agrees with the adjective you used. The best course of action is to focus solely on playing [the Chelsea game] and trying to win.

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"If they decide to schedule the game for that time period, immediately following the World Cup, and we don't have our international players, then by all means, use the academy or some physios."

Guardiola worries that the World Cup will add an extra burden to English football, which was already dealing with the most hectic schedule in Europe. He also worries that players may withhold this week out of consciousness in an attempt to dodge any late injuries that might put their World Cup aspirations in jeopardy.

The concluding game for City before the World Cup is against Brentford on Saturday at noon at the Etihad, and Guardiola acknowledges that it is only reasonable for players to seek to safeguard themselves. "The footballers have one eye upon that World Cup," he remarked of the games versus Chelsea then Brentford on Saturday.

"If you were injured against Brentford, it would not have any bearing on whether you would have won the Premier League or not. However, [the players] can assert: "I'll miss the World Cup because of that. What strategy will I employ? Maybe I'll pay attention.

"One month ago, OK, I have to tell the boys to do it and to be committed. But now that it's there, the World Cup is only around the door. Therefore, they fly on Saturday night after our game because they must be with the national squad on Sunday. I'm quite certain this will be on the players' minds a little bit. It's typical. I would behave similarly.

Raheem Sterling is getting ready to make his first trip back to the Etihad since departing for Chelsea in the summer, and Guardiola has prompted City supporters to give him a good welcome.

Always, he remarked, "I like when they welcome those who have been here for a while, been a major player and played a crucial part in our squad in all these years."

"He deserves it, and I'm hoping Gabriel Jesus at Arsenal will experience the same thing. Naturally, we want to defeat them. The populace of England values that.

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