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BEIJING, CHINA -- Manchester City and Manchester United won't be put off returning to China despite their International Champions Cup match being cancelled. Their clash was called off 12 hours before kick-off because of an unfit playing surface at the Bird's Nest Stadium following heavy rain in the Chinese capital. It's been a testing experience in Beijing for both clubs. They had their training sessions moved at short notice from the national stadium to the Olympic Sports Centre the day before the game as they worked out in stifling and humid conditions. United boss Jose Mourinho also had to hold his prematch news conference by the side of the training pitch because of the heat and cramped conditions in the press room. That was hours after Pep Guardiola held his briefing and had to wipe his brow with a towel because of the temperature and humidity. City now to head to Shenzhen where they will face Borussia Dortmund but the cancellation means they have missed an important fixture from their four-game preseason under new boss Guardiola. But chief executive Ferran Soriano blamed the freakish weather and said they will return to Beijing in the future. "We are very disappointed not to be able to play for our supporters here in Beijing," he said in a statement. "The players have been working hard in training to prepare for an exciting derby. "We know how much everyone was looking forward to the game, but we understand that this bad weather is beyond anyone's control, and that the rain has made it totally unsafe to play on this pitch. "It has been a pleasure and an honour to experience such a warm welcome from the people and supporters here in Beijing, and we remain committed to playing here in the future." For United it is the end of a difficult trip. They lost 4-1 against Dortmund in a sweltering Shanghai earlier in the tour before flying onto Beijing where their team flight was diverted to Tianjin because of bad weather. However, United executive vice chairman Ed Woodward said in a statement: "It's extremely disappointing not to be able to play the game in this amazing stadium but the recent torrential rain would have caused problems anywhere in the world and has left the pitch unplayable. "We know our fans in China will, like the players and staff, be saddened by the cancellation of the match but I am sure they appreciate that the player safety has to be the top priority. "I am sure we will return to the Bird's Nest in the future to give them the chance to see the team in action."
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