Manchester City will return to China this year for the first time since their ill-fated visit of 2016, when a game with cross-town rivals Manchester United was called off at the last minute.
The first overseas Manchester derby was cancelled just hours before kick-off because of an unplayable surface at Beijing's "Bird's Nest" stadium following heavy rain.
Pep Guardiola's City will hope there is no repeat when they compete in the 2019 Premier League Asia Trophy, which will be held in Nanjing on July 17 and nearby Shanghai on July 20.
The other teams will be Newcastle United, West Ham United and Chinese-owned Wolverhampton Wanderers, the Premier League said on Tuesday.
Each side will play two games in the mini tournament, which is likely to be testing for the players with peak temperatures over 30 degrees Celsius and the possibility of torrential rain.
The Asia Trophy was similarly dogged by pitch problems - again after rain - when it was held in Hong Kong in 2013.
Then-Sunderland manager Paolo Di Canio labelled the muddy surface "a killer pitch" and Tottenham Hotspur's Jan Vertonghen suffered an ankle injury on the waterlogged surface.
While uncomfortable conditions for players and disruptive to managers' pre-season preparations, the Premier League and clubs see such trips as a prime opportunity to grow their fan bases in China, the world's second-biggest economy.
City recently purchased a stake in Chinese third-tier club Sichuan Jiuniu as part of their overseas expansion drive.
"In Manchester City we have the reigning Premier League champions competing for the trophy," the league's interim chief executive Richard Masters said when naming the July line-up.
"I have no doubt the fans can expect some competitive and thrilling Premier League action."
A glut of European football clubs look set to visit China in pre-season, with Barcelona and Tottenham Hotspur also committed to coming.
TEAMS
US Team
Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth
Justin Thomas, Daniel Berger
Brooks Koepka, Rickie Fowler
Kevin Kisner, Patrick Reed
Matt Kuchar, Kevin Chappell
Charley Hoffman*, Phil Mickelson*
International Team
Hideki Matsuyama, Jason Day
Adam Scott, Louis Oosthuizen
Marc Leishman, Charl Schwartzel
Branden Grace, Si Woo Kim
Jhonattan Vegas, Adam Hadwin
Emiliano Grillo*, Anirban Lahiri*
* denotes captain's picks
Keane on …
Liverpool’s Uefa Champions League bid: “They’re great. With the attacking force they have, for me, they’re certainly one of the favourites. You look at the teams left in it - they’re capable of scoring against anybody at any given time. Defensively they’ve been good, so I don’t see any reason why they couldn’t go on and win it.”
Mohamed Salah’s debut campaign at Anfield: “Unbelievable. He’s been phenomenal. You can name the front three, but for him on a personal level, he’s been unreal. He’s been great to watch and hopefully he can continue now until the end of the season - which I’m sure he will, because he’s been in fine form. He’s been incredible this season.”
Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s instant impact at former club LA Galaxy: “Brilliant. It’s been a great start for him and for the club. They were crying out for another big name there. They were lacking that, for the prestige of LA Galaxy. And now they have one of the finest stars. I hope they can go win something this year.”
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
F1 drivers' standings
1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes 281
2. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari 247
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes 222
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull 177
5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari 138
6. Max Verstappen, Red Bull 93
7. Sergio Perez, Force India 86
8. Esteban Ocon, Force India 56
Turkish Ladies
Various artists, Sony Music Turkey
'Nope'
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