Up to four new boys could be making their first appearance for the Blues on English soil in the traditional Premier League curtain-raiser, and the midfielder is impressed with the bright start the group have made to their City careers.
Fernando, Bacary Sagna and Yaya believes the team looks strong with the 2014/15 league season just over a week away.
“All of the new players are settling in really well,” he told mcfc.co.uk. “Bacary Sagna has been in England for a good few years now and he knows the Premier League very well.
“Caballero has been training with the guys throughout pre-season – he’s a fantastic guy and has been playing really well in training and in the friendly matches.
“Fernando, too, has been looking really sharp and I think he brings many great qualities to the midfield.
“This club is looking very sharp, the team is strong and I hope we can have a season which is as good as the last.”
The 31-year-old is enjoying being back at Carrington and is looking forward to the new campaign, but admits City must start strongly ahead of a tricky opening set of league fixtures.
A World Cup summer inevitably impacts on pre-season preparations, as the squad have all returned to club duties at different times depending on each country’s success in FIFA’s showpiece tournament in Brazil.
Yaya himself missed the first four friendly engagements, before coming on as a second half sub against Liverpool and starting against Olympiacos, but is confident that the Blues will be ready for the Community Shield and beyond as they aim to give the fans another season to remember.
He declared: “It’s good to be back – I’m really looking forward to the season now. It’s going to be very tough but I think it’s going to be a very exciting season.
“It’s a really interesting way to start the season – the Community Shield against a top team like Arsenal at Wembley and, even though we have only just started to train together as a full squad, we will be ready.
“It’s not just the Community Shield either - our first five or six games are looking really difficult for us but that makes it exciting and it means that we have to hit the ground running and have a strong start.
...Yaya Toure...
“All of the lads have been coming back at different times because of the World Cup, so it is going to be very tough for us to hit our top form straight away but we are professional and I believe that we will – starting on Sunday.
“We know how difficult the Premier League is but all of the guys have full focus and want to produce another exciting year for the supporters of this great club.”
