Manchester City

Well this looks fun. Seems the priority for matchday minus one is working on close control rather than anything too strenuous.

The Manchester City players are doing a drill in pairs, keeping the ball in the air before trying to lift it into a net. All of City's first-team squad appear to be taking part.

Image source, Getty Images

BBC Sport's chief football writer Phil McNulty:

The addition of Kylian Mbappe to Real Madrid’s ranks makes it hard to see beyond a 16th triumph in the tournament for them and a sixth for coach Carlo Ancelotti.

Man City will be their closest challengers but Real just have that incredible habit of getting this particular job done even when nowhere near their best and they have been over this course and distance successfully so many times.

BBC Sport's French football expert Julien Laurens: It is getting a bit boring now because Real Madrid win the Champions League every year - and I see no other outcome again this season.

The Spanish champions have the experience, the savoir faire, the heritage, the money time mentality and the talent.

Imagine keeping the same manager and pretty much the squad (although Toni Kroos is a obviously massive loss) and adding the best player in the world in Kylian Mbappe!

The pundits have been having their say on who they think will win the Champions League this season, who the dark horses might be and who the players to watch are.

Let's take a look.

Manchester City

Rodri has also been enjoying a much-needed break after helping Spain win Euro 2024 and playing more than 60 games for club and country last season.

The Spain midfielder told media earlier that players are close to going on strike over the expanded football calendar, but he now jogs out and is on the ball straight away, pinging a few passes around.

Will Rodri also come in for his first start of the season or will Pep Guardiola save him and Phil Foden for Sunday's Premier League game with Arsenal?

Shay Given
Former Man City goalkeeper on The Monday Night Club

Image source, Getty Images

It’s hard to look past Real Madrid and Manchester City [for the Champions League], to be honest. Kylian Mbappe’s gone to Madrid so they've strengthened again, but at the minute we’re looking at Pep Guardiola’s last season in charge as well, unless he signs a new contract. He’ll want to go out with a blaze of glory by winning the Champions League and I think they’re good enough.

I mean, look at the start that Erling Haaland’s had to the season. The only thing you would say I suppose, last year Haaland missed seven or eight league games, and if he gets injured, Julian Alvarez has left the building now so have they got a replacement for him? That would be a question mark for me, but if they can keep the big man fit and the options behind him then they’ve got a great chance.

Manchester City

Phil Foden is yet to start for Manchester City this season having been out through illness, although the England midfielder was in need of a break anyway after starting all seven games at Euro 2024 and being a key player in last season's Premier League title success.

Foden was an unused substitute for Saturday's win over Brentford but is he now ready to come back into the starting line-up for Pep Guardiola's men?

Image source, Reuters

Professional Footballers' Association CEO Maheta Molango, following Rodri's comments about the schedule: “The impact of fixture congestion and increasing player workload is no longer a problem that’s coming down the line. It’s already here. This is the year when we can look at the calendar and say clearly ‘this doesn’t work’.

“Players see that, and they are now experiencing it. They’re making their feelings increasingly clear but, as I’ve said before, this is no longer just a player problem - this is a problem for everyone in football.

“As unions, we are already taking legal action to challenge this and players are now openly talking about what options are available to them to force change.

“They want to be listened to, and those who run the game must now sit up and take notice.”

Manchester City

The first players are out for Manchester City's final training session before they face Inter Milan in their Champions League opener for this season's competition.

They include Rico Lewis, who has started all four league games so far this season, and he switched from right-back to left-back on Saturday to give Josko Gvardiol a breather - before the Croatia international came on at half-time. How will Pep Guardiola use the England youngster tomorrow?

If you were with us during the Euros, you'll know we love a prediction graphic in our live pages.

Opta have provided us with their projections on how many points teams will likely need to qualify for the knockout phase of the Champions League in this new format - either automatically through the top eight, or via the play-offs in places nine to 24.

As an example, Opta believe that 16 points in the league phase would give a team a 98% chance of a top-eight finish; where as 14 points would only be a 28% chance of automatic qualification.

Image source, Opta

On the Monday Night Club, Mark Chapman, Shay Given, Rory Smith and Chris Sutton look at the dangers surrounding the new UEFA Champions League format and why it could get "messy".

Clarence Seedorf
Four-time Champions League winner Clarence Seedorf on BBC Radio 5 Live

Image source, Getty Images

We definitely should respect these players because already in my time we were complaining about too many matches.

On Alisson Becker's comments about the schedule

La Liga president Javier Tebas was speaking to BBC Sport football news reporter Nizaar Kinsella last week about the football calendar.

He was also critical of new and expanded competitions, but from the point of view of protecting domestic leagues.

Tebas said: "We always think of 150 or 200 players who play all the games. But in Europe, there are more than 50,000 players who don't play all those games and don't have the problem of the match load.

"Football cannot be governed by what happens to 250 players, but by the rest because, in addition, all these new tournaments would economically empty the national leagues and impact the salaries of other players with fewer club revenues.

"So, the solution to the problem is not in reducing the number of matches in national competitions, which is what I keep hearing, but that all these new competitions should not exist. Then there will be no overload in the calendar."

Tottenham Hotspur

A final word from Postecoglou on whether the EFL Cup is an opportunity to focus on silverware: "Yes, every game is an opportunity for us to get on that road to success. The cup competitions, there is a definite timeline there so you know you’ve got to win to progress so the focus is there."

Manchester City

Manchester City will begin their training session very shortly ahead of their Champions League opener against Inter Milan tomorrow night and you can watch it right here on this page.

Just click the 'watch live' play icon at the top.

Tottenham Hotspur

More from Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou on team news and rotation: "Biss [Yves Bissouma] is still not where we want him to be, but hopefully there's still a chance for the weekend."

On players he would like to use, the Tottenham manager added: "I think the main thing is that we want to win tomorrow night and you are looking at which players are in the best position to do that. Take into account, we had a game a couple of days ago. We are looking at how the guys have recovered and [will] look at the guys who haven’t played much who are ready to play and contribute. It is always about putting a team out there to win and get the job done."

Image source, Getty Images

In response to Rodri's comments about player welfare and the potential they could take strike action over the rising number of games, a spokesperson for the Professional Footballers' Association said: “In recent weeks our members have made their feelings very clear when it comes to the fixture calendar and player workload.

"Players and their unions have asked to be listened to and to be a central part of these processes. When they are ignored then the natural consequence is that players will begin to consider all options available to them.

“Players are repeatedly saying that enough is enough, and this must now act as a serious wake-up call to the authorities.”

Tottenham Hotspur

Image source, Getty Images

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou told Sky Sports after his side’s Premier League defeat to Arsenal on Sunday that "I always win things in my second year - nothing has changed. I don't say things if I don't believe them".

When asked about those comments today at his news conference, the Australian said: “It’s amazing – I just stated a fact – should I lie? It’s confusion to me - people making a big deal. I am not sure how I am supposed to answer something that’s true and it seems like I upset some people for some reason. Is it me boasting? How am I supposed to answer something?

"It is true and I am not sure why people think I am boasting about it. If you achieve something, aren't you supposed to say ‘yes I have, I hope to again’. It is true and my plan is for it to happen this year and if it doesn’t happen then I will say it is mostly – but not always.”

We have so many messages coming in on the topic of player wellbeing and Rodri's assertion that they are "close" to taking strike action over the rising number of games in the football calendar.

Keep them coming and we will publish a selection throughout the rest of the day, with our coverage going right up until the start of build-up for Aston Villa's Champions League opener at Young Boys.

Champions League is not the only football taking place this week, let's hear from Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou, who has been talking about Wednesday's EFL Cup tie at Coventry...