EVEN when players are not away representing their countries, there is no rest at City.
Ilkay Gundogan retired from international football over the summer after captaining Germany at their home Euros, before making his sensational return to the Blues.
Kyle Walker started every game as England reached a second successive European Championship final - but his subsequent late return to City has meant he has played just one minute of action and was omitted from the first England squad of the campaign.
Both may have hoped for some time off ahead of a gruelling schedule, but instead they used the break to keep up their fitness by training with the club's Elite Development Squad ahead of their first-team colleagues coming back.
City's Under-21 players are regularly used by Pep Guardiola to supplement his senior training squad, with the likes of Nico O'Reilly permanently added to the first-team group this season.
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