Manchester City's training facility at the Etihad Campus begins the Chelsea-specific preparation today. For Guardiola, the nine-day window before Sunday 12 April's trip to Stamford Bridge is an opportunity to install a detailed, opponent-specific gameplan with the time and space that a typical three-day Premier League turnaround does not allow. Friday's session will likely focus on general recovery from the previous match week and an initial briefing on Chelsea's tactical patterns. The real Chelsea-specific work will intensify from Tuesday onward. Key updates to watch from today: Haaland's involvement level. If the Norwegian is in full training on Friday, he is likely to be available for Sunday 12 April. If his participation is limited or absent, City's plans for Stamford Bridge change significantly. De Bruyne's status is the second major watch point. His return from injury management means every training session is a data point in Guardiola's fitness assessment. The Champions League quarter-final planning also begins this week in parallel. City must prepare two tactical plans simultaneously — one for Chelsea, one for Europe. Friday at the Etihad. Nine days of work. One of the season's most important fixtures at the end of it. 📅 Sun 12 Apr, 07:30 UTC | Stamford Bridge 🏆 GW30 | City's Preparation Begins