Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said that the push for a more favourable match schedule must come from the players after midfielder Rodri said the increased workload is pushing players close to breaking point.
Guardiola's side clash with Arsenal on Sunday amid a difficult stretch of seven games in three weeks for the reigning Premier League champions.
"Many, many voices are talking about it," Guardiola said. "If something is going to change, it must come from the players. The business can be without managers, without sporting directors, without media, without owners, but without the players - cannot be played.
"It is not just Rodri (speaking out), it is many, many players, and not just in this country, but around the world people are starting to talk, so we will see."
Guardiola did not confirm whether Kevin de Bruyne will play on Sunday after the team captain limped off at halftime of their 0-0 draw with Inter Milan in the Champions League on Wednesday.
"He feels a bit better today. Tomorrow we're training and we'll see. He could be (involved)," the manager said.
However, Guardiola admits City will have an advantage when they face Arsenal on an extra day's rest.
Guardiola's side played at home in their Champions League draw with Inter Milan on Wednesday, while Arsenal had to wait until Thursday to travel to Italy for their goalless stalemate against Atalanta.
Guardiola believes the additional 24 hours of recovery could play a role in deciding the first meeting this term between the clubs that have finished first and second for the last two seasons.
A victory at the Etihad Stadium would be a significant boost to City's hopes of an unprecedented fifth successive Premier League title.
"It is an advantage but I am going to make a list in the last six years of how many times we faced a tough team with an extra day of rest. It is a very long list," he said.
Fueled by Erling Haaland's nine goals, City have already established themselves as the team to beat this season.
The champions, who boast a 100 percent record after four league games, sit two points ahead of Arsenal, who have won three and drawn one.
"The set pieces are not easy because they are taller than us. They defend the space, they are incredible with the runners," he said.
"It is always two against one with Gabriel (Magalhaes) and (William) Saliba focused on Erling. That is why it is difficult to play them. I have to read well the way we have to do it."
The five pillars of Islam
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Etihad (etihad.com) flies from Abu Dhabi to Mykonos, with a flight change to its partner airline Olympic Air in Athens. Return flights cost from Dh4,105 per person, including taxes.
Where to stay
The modern-art-filled Ambassador hotel (myconianambassador.gr) is 15 minutes outside Mykonos Town on a hillside 500 metres from the Platis Gialos Beach, with a bus into town every 30 minutes (a taxi costs €15 [Dh66]). The Nammos and Scorpios beach clubs are a 10- to 20-minute walk (or water-taxi ride) away. All 70 rooms have a large balcony, many with a Jacuzzi, and of the 15 suites, five have a plunge pool. There’s also a private eight-bedroom villa. Double rooms cost from €240 (Dh1,063) including breakfast, out of season, and from €595 (Dh2,636) in July/August.
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The five pillars of Islam
Analysis
Members of Syria's Alawite minority community face threat in their heartland after one of the deadliest days in country’s recent history. Read more
SPEC%20SHEET
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Guide to intelligent investing
Investing success often hinges on discipline and perspective. As markets fluctuate, remember these guiding principles:
- Stay invested: Time in the market, not timing the market, is critical to long-term gains.
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- Strategic patience: Understand why you’re investing and allow time for your strategies to unfold.
Zakat definitions
Zakat: an Arabic word meaning ‘to cleanse’ or ‘purification’.
Nisab: the minimum amount that a Muslim must have before being obliged to pay zakat. Traditionally, the nisab threshold was 87.48 grams of gold, or 612.36 grams of silver. The monetary value of the nisab therefore varies by current prices and currencies.
Zakat Al Mal: the ‘cleansing’ of wealth, as one of the five pillars of Islam; a spiritual duty for all Muslims meeting the ‘nisab’ wealth criteria in a lunar year, to pay 2.5 per cent of their wealth in alms to the deserving and needy.
Zakat Al Fitr: a donation to charity given during Ramadan, before Eid Al Fitr, in the form of food. Every adult Muslim who possesses food in excess of the needs of themselves and their family must pay two qadahs (an old measure just over 2 kilograms) of flour, wheat, barley or rice from each person in a household, as a minimum.
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Analysis
Maros Sefcovic is juggling multiple international trade agreement files, but his message was clear when he spoke to The National on Wednesday.
The EU-UAE bilateral trade deal will be finalised soon, he said. It is in everyone’s interests to do so. Both sides want to move quickly and are in alignment. He said the UAE is a very important partner for the EU. It’s full speed ahead - and with some lofty ambitions - on the road to a free trade agreement.
We also talked about US-EU tariffs. He answered that both sides need to talk more and more often, but he is prepared to defend Europe's position and said diplomacy should be a guiding principle through the current moment.
Petrarch: Everywhere a Wanderer
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
More on Quran memorisation:
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Naga
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The specs: 2018 Chevrolet Trailblazer
Price, base / as tested Dh99,000 / Dh132,000
Engine 3.6L V6
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power 275hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 350Nm @ 3,700rpm
Fuel economy combined 12.2L / 100km
