Football
Jonathan Smith, Manchester City correspondent 6y

Kevin De Bruyne says Manchester City players are tired and ready for a break

Pep Guardiola has given his Manchester City squad three days off with players not set to return to the Etihad Campus until Wednesday.

City have their first week without a midweek game since August with a seven-day gap between the 1-1 draw with Burnley and Saturday's clash with Leicester City.

With a number of injuries since the turn of the year, Pep Guardiola has had to rely on a number of first-team regulars including Kevin De Bruyne, who has featured in all of City's last 12 matches.

The Belgium international admitted he felt tired in the draw with Burnley and told reporters that he is looking forward to a break.

"I was feeling it from the first minute," he said." I've said it before -- you feel great for 10 games, okay for 10 games, and then the rest you feel s---.

"It will do us a lot of good. I'm going away, it doesn't matter where!"

Brazilian defender Danilo, who scored a spectacular 20-yard strike in the draw with Burnley, says it will be an important break with City still competing for four trophies.

The club has four games in 15 days in four different competitions after the short break and Danilo says it's crucial to come back refreshed.

"It is very important. It is a very intense competition, having games every two or three days. We know how difficult and demanding it is," he told Sky Sports.

"We have to rest our bodies and clear our minds and come back to prepare for the next game fresh and relaxed."

The players are not the only ones to get time off with Guardiola also giving free-time to his coaching staff while he will also to take the opportunity to recharge his batteries for the final months of the season.

"We need to not see each other," he joked at his news conference before the Burnley game. "They have to forget a little bit about football, be with their families and friends and move on.

"Wednesday afternoon we have to prepare here, three training sessions for Leicester and Basel, but we need a littleĀ break, everybody -- the players, the staff, the physios, everybody."

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