MARESCA RULES OUT HAALAND AS MANCHESTER CITY CAPTAIN

Enzo Maresca has indicated that Erling Haaland is unlikely to become Manchester City captain, citing the striker's prolific goalscoring record as the primary reason. Maresca stated during the club's pre-season tour of Asia that he has implemented a tactical requirement throughout his managerial career whereby the captain must report to the touchline for instructions immediately after a goal is scored. The Manchester City head coach said that applying this rule to Haaland would be impractical given how frequently he scores. Maresca noted that the club currently has multiple captaincy options available, though Rodri is recovering from back surgery.

Maresca explained his reasoning to journalists, saying that even brief stoppages of two or three minutes allow for tactical adjustments. He used examples from his previous roles at Leicester City and Chelsea, where he enforced the same rule that captains must leave the field to receive instructions rather than celebrate goals. Maresca acknowledged that Rodri, who has been linked with Barcelona, represents an option should the club wish to revisit the captaincy question. Bernardo Silva vacated the captaincy at the end of the previous season.

England Under-21 striker Divin Mubama has completed a loan move to Southampton, departing Manchester City following a spell at Championship club Stoke City last season, during which he scored five times in 28 appearances. The 21-year-old stated that he is confident in his ability to convert chances and described feeling sharp after the pre-season tour. Manchester City will face Arsenal in the Community Shield at Cardiff on Sunday before beginning their Premier League campaign at home to Bournemouth on 23 August.