Six Man City stars return before Arsenal as Rodri remains absent

Manchester City have welcomed six senior players back to training ahead of Sunday's Community Shield clash against Arsenal, although Rodri remains absent as speculation over his future continues.

New head coach Enzo Maresca received a timely boost at the City Football Academy as several World Cup stars returned following their extended summer breaks.

The club also confirmed squad numbers for a number of first-team players ahead of the new season.

Manchester City's preparations stepped up on Wednesday with the return of six key first-team players.

Erling Haaland, Jeremy Doku, Elliot Anderson, Marc Guehi, Nico O'Reilly and Rayan Cherki all rejoined Maresca's squad as attention turns towards the season's opening fixture against Arsenal.

Their return gives the new City boss a stronger squad to work with ahead of his first competitive domestic match in charge.

Manchester City have also confirmed several squad numbers for the 2026/27 campaign.

New signing Elliot Anderson will wear the No.5 shirt, previously worn by John Stones, while Marc Guehi has switched to the No.6 shirt after wearing No.15 during last season.

In goal, Gianluigi Donnarumma has inherited the famous No.1 jersey following James Trafford's move to Leeds United.

Fellow goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli will wear the No.28 shirt after joining the club this summer.

One notable absentee from Wednesday's session was Rodri.

The Spain international continues to be heavily linked with a move to Barcelona, while recovering from minor back surgery following the World Cup.

Maresca recently confirmed the midfielder is expected to return to training on Friday, although uncertainty remains over whether he will report back as planned while transfer negotiations continue.

Away from the returning internationals, Jack Grealish continues to build his fitness after missing City's pre-season tour.

The winger has been training individually after an injury-hit campaign and faces an uncertain future following last season's loan spell at Everton.

With only a handful of training sessions remaining before Sunday's Community Shield, Maresca now faces the challenge of integrating his returning stars ahead of the clash with Arsenal.

Manchester City will continue preparations for the Community Shield over the coming days, with Rodri expected to return to training later this week if no developments occur regarding his future. Maresca will then decide which of his returning World Cup stars are ready to feature against Arsenal.