Pep Guardiola says he is 'very pleased and excited' that Manchester City are taking part in the Club World Cup in Saudi Arabia over the coming days.
The treble winners go into the tournament after a slump in results, dropping points in five of their last six Premier League games to leave them fourth in the table.
Playing Club World Cup matches on Tuesday and Friday, they do not return to league action until December 27, by which time there could be a considerable gap between them and the top of the table.