Why Manuel Akanji Didn’t Travel with Man City to Club World Cup

Manchester City have departed for the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States, but one notable name was not among the players who boarded the plane on Thursday — defender Manuel Akanji.

Although included in the official 27-man squad, Akanji was not at Manchester Airport with the rest of the team as they flew out to Miami. However, there is no cause for concern — the 29-year-old will join up with his teammates directly in the U.S.

Akanji remained in America following international duty with Switzerland, who played two friendlies during the break. He featured in the first half of Switzerland’s 4-0 win over the USA on Tuesday in Nashville, and has opted to stay stateside instead of returning to Manchester.

Earlier in the international window, Switzerland also faced Mexico in Salt Lake City, making the USA a logical temporary base for the team.

The rest of the City squad traveled together to their training base in Miami, where they will begin preparations for the tournament. Their first game is scheduled for Wednesday against Wydad AC in Philadelphia, followed by fixtures against Al Ain in Atalanta and Juventus in Orlando during the group stage.

City’s squad for the tournament features all four of their June signings — Marcus Bettinelli, Rayan Ait-Nouri, Tijjani Reijnders, and Rayan Cherki. Additionally, new staff members Kole Toure, James French, and Pep Lijnders are now part of Guardiola’s backroom team.

Also included in the squad are January additions Omar Marmoush, Nico Gonzalez, Abdukodir Khusanov, and Vitor Reis. Despite some of them missing recent matchday squads, they’ve been brought along for the competition.

While City had the option to bring more players, they’ve chosen to leave some academy talents at home to continue their own preseason training routines. The focus is on a well-balanced, competitive squad ahead of the Club World Cup challenge.