Manchester City football manager Manuel Pellegrini has admitted that his squad is not ready to begin the defence of their Premier League title this weekend.
City was defeated by Arsenal in the Community Shield, with the Premier League champions' boss Pellegrini without eight key players at Wembley.
City's World Cup stars Vincent Kompany, Pablo Zabaleta, Fernandinho, Sergio Aguero, Bacary Sagna and Martin Demichelis were all excused after only resuming training last week, The Mirror reported.
Frank Lampard also watched the game from the stands and crocked Alvaro Negredo was seen on crutches
Pellegrini admits that his side is now unlikely to be firing in their opener at Newcastle on Sunday. He said that it is difficult to be ready in two weeks.
Pellegrini said that the players Aguero, Zabaleta, Demichelis, Kompany, Sagna, Fernandinho just arrived seven days ago, adding that they would have 15 days before City starts the Premier League, so they would see which of them are ready and which of them are not ready.
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