Maresca says Man United must adapt to fixture schedule for derby

Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca has stated that Manchester United must adapt to the fixture schedule ahead of Sunday's Premier League derby, noting his team holds a two-day rest advantage. City defeated Porto 2-0 in the Champions League on Tuesday, while United played their European match against Sabah on Thursday, leaving them with less recovery time. Maresca addressed the scheduling imbalance during a press conference on Friday, framing it as a common occurrence in modern football. "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 said. The manager recalled that City faced a similar situation last September before playing Arsenal, when former manager Pep Guardiola joked about taking players hiking to prepare. The fixture congestion is partly attributed to the expanded Champions League format, which adds more matches before the end of January, alongside domestic cup competitions. Maresca acknowledged the challenges but suggested the imbalance tends to even out over a season. "It happened last year with us, this season with them, next season it will happen with a different team," he said.