MANCHESTER -- Manchester City will be without eight players against Arsenal in the Community Shield on Sunday as Manuel Pellegrini plans to field a severely weakened team.

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The Premier League champions will take on the FA Cup winners without six players who featured in the latter stages of the World Cup, while new signing Frank Lampard and injured striker Alvaro Negredo will also be absent.

Pellegrini gave Sergio Aguero, Pablo Zabaleta and Martin Demichelis an extended break after they helped Argentina reach the World Cup final.

Along with Fernandinho, who was part of the Brazil side that finished fourth, and Belgium captain Vincent Kompany, whose country were knocked out in the last eight, they were given time off and only resumed training on Monday.