Manchester City 'to face Barcelona in charity friendly three weeks into Premier League season'

On Thursday, the Citizens discovered that they will travel to West Ham United on the opening day of the 2022-23 campaign, before taking on Bournemouth at home and then Newcastle United away.

After their top-flight game at St James' Park, The Athletic reports that Pep Guardiola's side are scheduled to travel to Spain and play against Xavi's Barcelona in a charity game to raise funds for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis awareness.

The fixture will be in honour of former Barca player and coach Juan Carlos Unzue who was diagnosed with the disease in February 2020.

Unzue is understood to have a close relationship with Guardiola, who he briefly played alongside at Barcelona before working under him as a goalkeeper coach with the Catalan giants between 2008 and 2010.

The report adds that the fixture was initially scheduled to take place last year, but was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, with both clubs hoping for a capacity crowd in order to raise more funds for the charity.

The Citizens are believed to be considering a 'multiple-day stay' in Catalonia before returning in time for their Premier League home game against Crystal Palace on August 27.

Guardiola is set to appear in the Camp Nou dugout as a manager for the first time since 2016, when his Man City side lost 4-0 to Barcelona in the Champions League group stage.