CWC Preview: The Re-build Starts Here

Manchester City landed in Florida carrying more baggage than their equipment truck. Last season's barren campaign - their first without major silverware since 2016-17 - has left Pep with issues to address.

The Club World Cup provides his first opportunity to supply them. While most of their rivals enjoy lazy summer breaks, City face a baptism of fire across seven potential matches in America. Guardiola views this expanded tournament as salvation rather than inconvenience. 

Wydad AC provide the opening examination in Group G at Lincoln Field on Wednesday (5pm UK kick-off). The Moroccan side carry decent pedigree - three African Champions League victories - but haven't touched major silverware since 2022. Their recent third-place domestic finish suggests declining standards.

Al Ain follow in Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The UAE side dominated their league for years, collecting 14 titles, but haven't managed one since 2021. Their fifth-place finish this term, trailing champions by 19 points, tells its own story.

Juventus represent the group's serious business. Both sides should collect maximum points before their Orlando showdown, making that fixture a winner-takes-all affair for top spot.

The prize? Avoiding Real Madrid in the knockout rounds, assuming Ancelotti's men claim their group as expected.

City's squad selection reveals the scale of summer upheaval. Kevin De Bruyne's departure to Napoli removes their creative heartbeat. Kyle Walker and Jack Grealish remain available for transfer. Ederson continues entertaining Saudi approaches while John Stones battles fresh injury concerns, albeit he is fit again.

Expect Stefan Ortega between the posts, protected by Rico Lewis, Rúben Dias, Josko Gvardiol and teenage prospect Nico O'Reilly. Rodri anchors midfield alongside returning captain Ilkay Gündogan and Portuguese magician Bernardo Silva. Phil Foden operating behind Omar Marmoush and Erling Haaland.

Summer arrivals Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Aït-Nouri and Rayan Cherki await integration opportunities.

Those signings expose Guardiola's earlier misjudgement. The Catalan rejected major summer squad surgery last term, believing his existing players possessed enough quality. October through December proved him spectacularly wrong. That said, the encouraging run at the end of the campaign which secured a Champions League spot, was encouraging.

Nine defeats across 13 matches shattered confidence and exposed fundamental weaknesses. The Champions League capitulation against Feyenoord and the subsequent humiliation against Madrid merely confirmed what everyone suspected - this wasn't the same team that claimed four consecutive league titles.

Reijnders addresses a critical vulnerability. Rodri's injury record demands adequate cover, particularly given his irreplaceable role in Guardiola's system. The Dutchman offers a genuine alternative.

Cherki brings flair to compensate for De Bruyne's creativity loss, though asking any player to replace the Belgian's unique contribution seems unrealistic.

Aït-Nouri solves a positional headache. Guardiola hasn't signed a specialist left-back since Benjamin Mendy in 2017. Josko Gvardiol and O'Reilly provided makeshift solutions last season - adequate but hardly ideal.

The injury epidemic that decimated last season's campaign cannot repeat. Stones, Dias, Nathan Aké, Manuel Akanji, Oscar Bobb, Grealish, Ederson, Jérémy Doku, Mateo Kovacic and Haaland all missed significant periods. No squad survives such carnage.

This tournament offers Guardiola laboratory conditions for tactical experimentation. Unlike meaningless friendlies, every match carries consequence, and of course huge prize money. Players understand the stakes. Intensity matches competitive levels.

Seven matches separate City from retaining their title as World Club Champions. Seven opportunities to rediscover their winning DNA. Seven chances to prove last season represented temporary setback rather than permanent decline.

The manager's confidence hasn't wavered publicly. "I'm pretty sure next season we'll be better," he declared. The Club World Cup provides his firs chance to demonstrate that conviction.

Success here transforms everything. Instead of approaching August's Premier League opener burdened by recent failure, City would arrive confident and expectant again. That psychological boost could prove decisive across ten months of competition.

Pep's pre-match presser will be at 23:45 Monday (UK time).