Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca has acknowledged the challenges of tight scheduling in football, as his team prepares for a crucial Premier League derby against Manchester United on Sunday. City recently played a Champions League match against Porto on Tuesday, while United faced Sabah in a friendly on Thursday, giving both teams limited time to recover and prepare for their upcoming clash. Maresca noted that this kind of scheduling is not unusual in football, and that both teams will be ready for the game. This situation is not new for Maresca, who referenced a similar scenario last September when Manchester City played Arsenal just two days after a Champions League match against Napoli. At the time, then-manager Pep Guardiola joked about taking players "hiking in the mountains" to prepare for the match. Maresca told BBC Sport that the club had experienced this before and that such scheduling is a common part of the football calendar. With the expanded Champions League now requiring teams to play two additional group stage matches before the end of January, clubs also have to manage participation in domestic competitions like the Carabao Cup. Manchester City will face Norwich in the third round of the Carabao Cup next Thursday, while Manchester United play Brighton at Old Trafford the day before. Maresca emphasized that teams must adapt to these challenges, noting that it has happened in previous seasons with different teams and will likely continue in the future. Maresca will be making his debut as manager in a Manchester derby, and City has started the season strongly, winning all three of their league games so far. In contrast, Manchester United have only managed to collect four points from their opening three games. Maresca stressed the importance of the derby, calling it a special game, but said the most important thing was for the team to be themselves and focus on the final result.