Manchester City’s Alanna Kennedy says that the squad have great off-field support to assist with preparing for a hectic run of games.
The Cityzens begin their season with a UEFA Women’s Champions League Round 2 first leg tie against Real Madrid in the Spanish capital this evening.
The game could be one of eight which City may play in the UEFA Women’s Champions League before the end of the calendar year while they will also need to balance their European commitments with their domestic schedule in both the Barclays FA Women’s Super League and Vitality Women’s FA Cup. Gareth Taylor’s side will play six games in all competitions in the first month of the new season in total.
With Manchester City facing something of an endurance test from the very first whistle this season, summer signing Kennedy believes that the squad have enough to keep in good condition throughout, thanks largely to the supporting staff behind the scenes.
“As athletes, we prepare our bodies to deal with the short turnarounds between games;” Kennedy told FAWSL Full-Time in the pre-match press conference. “Having the right people around us to prepare us is important. I personally have only been involved in a couple of training sessions here and I have appreciated the way in which I have been slowly introduced to things to ensure that we are all taking care of our bodies.
“That is going to be really important with all of these games back-to-back and also using the depth of the squad, we have a lot of depth in this squad so that’s also a good thing for us as well.
“There are plenty of people looking after us.”
After spending more than a decade playing senior football, Kennedy could make her UEFA Women’s Champions League debut in Madrid this evening. The player says that being involved in such a prestigious competition against another famous name of the game in Real Madrid is an exciting prospect.
She added “To play in the Champions League is exciting for me, I haven’t been a part of that as of yet.
“To come up against another great club in Real Madrid will be a great challenge for us and a good place to start, with my Champions League debut hopefully.
“For everyone, outside of the national team, the Champions League is the pinnacle.”
The UEFA Women’s Champions League Round 2 first leg tie between Real Madrid and Manchester City is scheduled to kick-off at 8pm this evening and will be available for fans to stream live on City+.