As Manchester City players watch European football as spectators this week, whatever disappointment they feel won't be shared in their legs. The consequence of poor performances off the pitch has been, at long last, a rest for stars who have flogged themselves year on year in the pursuit of every trophy going.

This season, just the FA Cup remains on top of a top-four finish in the Premier League. This puts City in territory they had forgotten about it has been so long since they were in it.

Between the beginning of March and the end of the domestic campaign, the Blues are set to play 13 games. If they progress in the FA Cup, this could reach 14 or 15.

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To put that into context, in the last four seasons respectively they have had 18, 22, 19, and 21 in the same time period.

That is a serious difference, and if that isn't enough rest should City box off a top-four finish early - three points at Forest on Saturday will go a long way to cementing a spot - Pep Guardiola will also be able to rest players between now and the end of the Premier League.

The Premier League may object if they feel their competition is not being given full attention, but then they objected to delaying the start to next season to allow City to represent England in the Club World Cup.

One upside of City's disappointing season is that if it looked like there was no chance to rest between seasons to fit in the international tournament, it has now presented itself.

"We're going to give days off, to refresh because we believe in this competition it's about quality not quantity," Guardiola said of the long weeks that await between now and June.

"We're going to refresh things, full training sessions to prepare our really important game against Forest. Then again we have one week before Brighton then international break then FA Cup.

"We're going to refresh things, practice things, lift the rhythm, refreshing things that we cannot do that we have to do better."

City will still have to deal with the consequences of moving straight from the Club World Cup (depending on how far they progress) straight to next season's Premier League - and they could also have the Community Shield to attend if they go all the way in the FA Cup.

The performance staff will already have to be planning for how to cope with the extra demands that effectively an early start to next season will place on the players to ensure that they do not run out of steam or pick up injuries.

However, at least with a relatively gentle end to this campaign City can make the most of their rest to give players some time that they wouldn't ordinarily have had to stay fresh in their minds and their legs.