Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca has urged Manchester United to cope with the demanding fixture schedule as both sides prepare for Sunday’s Premier League derby.
United will head into the clash with two fewer days of recovery after playing Sabah on Thursday, despite securing a 4-0 victory. City, meanwhile, defeated Porto 2-0 in the Champions League on Tuesday, giving them additional preparation time.
Maresca, however, dismissed concerns over the scheduling advantage, saying such situations are an inevitable part of football and that teams must learn to adjust.
“To be honest, the club mentioned to me that it happened exactly the same last year when the club played Napoli and then, after two days, played Arsenal,” Maresca told BBC Sport on Friday.
“Sometimes it happens in football. I don’t have any doubt that Man United are going to be ready for that. It just matters to adapt.”
He recalled City facing a similar challenge last September before their fixture against Arsenal. Arsenal had played Athletic Club in Tuesday’s early kick-off before City took on Napoli at 20:00 BST on Thursday.
Former City boss Pep Guardiola had joked at the time that he would take his players “hiking in the mountains” as they dealt with the tight turnaround.
The expanded Champions League schedule, which has increased the number of matches before the end of January, coupled with domestic commitments such as the Carabao Cup, has further intensified the demands on English clubs.
Maresca acknowledged that fixture congestion can create uneven recovery periods but said clubs simply have to adjust when such situations arise.
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“I think that happens and you need to adapt,” he said when asked whether the scheduling would eventually balance itself out.
“It happened last year with us, this season with them, next season it will happen with a different team.”
Asked about United manager Michael Carrick’s likely reaction to the situation, Maresca said: “That’s a question for Michael. The only thing I can say is it happened, and you need to adapt.”
Sunday’s match will be Maresca’s first Manchester derby since taking charge of City, with the Italian having overseen a strong start to the campaign.
City have won each of their three Premier League matches so far, while United have taken four points from their opening three games.
Despite recognising the significance of the derby, Maresca said his priority would be ensuring City remain true to their style and approach.
“It is very important for different reasons,” he said. “We know how important a derby is, especially here. It is a special game.
“The most important thing we can do is try to be ourselves, and then we see the final result.”