Community Shield is one of the most anticipated events in England. Not only it’s the first competitive match after a preseason, but it also means that the start of the Premier League if just six days away. The duel between current champion Manchester City and the FA Cup winner Leicester City is also in the shadow of the biggest transfer in the Premier League history: Jack Grealish signed for the Citizens for 15 billion Ksh.The Blue Army were at Wembley Stadium #OnThisDay in 2016 as the Foxes were narrowly defeated by Man Utd in the #CommunityShield 🗓Today, we’re back 👊 pic.twitter.com/ap0xqfebNZ— Leicester City (@LCFC) August 7, 2021 The most expensive Briton in the history of the league arrived just in time for the Community Shield and will probably be in the squad (starting from the bench), especially after it was confirmed that a number of first team starters will miss this game. Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola confirmed that Phil Foden and Kevin De Bruyne will miss the duel due to EURO 2020 injuries.„Phil will be out for a while, a tough injury, we have to be careful with it. Kevin is still out. I think he will come back a bit sooner than Phil apparently. But both are still out for a while. Today, the managers in the big clubs, there are many internationals – we cannot work. We are here to handle the team spirit as well as possible, that time when you have four or five weeks to prepare. Half of the team is out and we don’t complain. It’s a pleasure to play the Community Shield. I’m lucky in the sixth season and my players know what they have to do. So difficult, the schedule is crazy, so tough“ said Guardiola.MANCHESTER CITY – LEICESTER Raheem Sterling, John Stones, Kyle Walker, Gabriel Jesus and Ederson are also not likely to be involved having taken later summer breaks due to international duty, but it doesn’t mean that the team which includes Ilkay Gundogan, Riyad Mahrez and Ruben Dias is in any way weakened. With six substitutes permitted, there will almost certainly be a stop-start feel to the second-half as both managers try and build match fitness.Leicester didn’t have a lot of chances to participate in the Community Shield, so the players will try to use the chance and win it.“It’s a fantastic game for us. It means we won the FA Cup. When you’re in pre-season, you’re aiming to be as close to fitness for the first game of the season and that doesn’t change. It’s a wonderful occasion and there’s something there at the end of it” said coach Brendan Rodgers.We all knew how this would finish – Pep gave his ’10’ to Jack GrealishWesley Fofana had a nasty injury during the pre-season and will miss some time, forcing the Foxes to turn to transfer market for a new defender. This will be the game in which new signings Patson Daka, Boubakary Soumare and Ryan Bertrand will feature for the club in their attempt to win their first trophy. James Maddison will miss the game, but not because of his possible transfer to Arsenal (‘no offers came in’ said the coach), but because he became a father. Brendan Rodgers also has a Youri Tielemans headache, as his possible transfer to Liverpool is a regular question at any news conference these days.
