Skip to content

Man City cancel Abu Dhabi trip due to replay

BLACKBURN, United Kingdom, Jan 04, 2014 - Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini revealed on Saturday that his club have cancelled a trip to Abu Dhabi after they were taken to an FA Cup replay by Blackburn Rovers.

Abu Dhabi-owned City were due to travel to the United Arab Emirates for a friendly against Al Ain on January 14 and a week of warm-weather training, but instead they must prepare for the replay with second-tier Blackburn.

Alvaro Negredo put City in front on the stroke of half-time in the third-round tie at Ewood Park, only for Blackburn captain Scott Dann to earn his side a 1-1 draw with a 55th-minute equaliser.

City later had right-back Dedryck Boyata sent off for two bookable offences.

With City second in the Premier League and also still in contention in the League Cup and the Champions League, the replay is a fixture that Pellegrini could do without, but he believes that it could prove beneficial.

"You never know what is better," he said.

"We were going to be travelling to Abu Dhabi and having a friendly match there, now we are going to play against Blackburn Rovers at home. What is better? It is impossible to know.

"It (the replay) is not an extra problem. We have to play another match and have the squad to do it, but we will continue making the rotation. That is better for the squad."

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox