Pep Guardiola 'to rest entire Manchester City squad during winter break'

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola reportedly intends to give his entire squad a period of complete rest during the upcoming Premier League winter break.

Next month will see a round of fixtures staggered over two weekends to give each team a midseason rest.

City will have a 13-day hiatus between facing West Ham United on February 9 and Leicester City on February 22.

According to The Telegraph, Guardiola will use the Premier League's inaugural break as a chance to fully rest his players, rather than working them on the training ground.

It is claimed that the City squad will be given four or five days to spend time with their families or go on a short holiday.

The defending English champions are 14 points adrift of runaway leaders Liverpool, who also have a game in hand to play.