Manchester City’s struggling stars will have to sleep overnight at the club’s training ground ahead of their 12.30pm Boxing Day showdown against Everton.

Pep Guardiola announced that his charges would be dragged away from their families’ homes and stressed that he hoped they would accept the measure with open arms.

City have lost nine of their last 12 games, the worst run of Guardiola’s managerial career, and last won against Nottingham Forest on December 4.

Their stars were treated to the morning and afternoon with their loved ones, and it’s not unusual for footballers to be caught up later on Christmas Day.

In 2014 they became the first Premier League club to introduce overnight accommodation, effectively using the “Etihad Campus” as a hotel at lunchtime the evening before home games. Their base has 80 bedrooms with sleep-inducing wallpaper, while £150,000 was spent on mattresses and pillows.

“We train today (Tuesday), we train tomorrow (Wednesday) evening, we stay here and we will play on Boxing Day,” Guardiola said.

Pep Guardiola is forcing Man City stars to sleep at their training ground ahead of their Boxing Day clash with Everton

It’s not uncommon for stars to be invited to train on Christmas Day afternoons

City became the first Premier League club to accommodate their players overnight in their complex in 2014

“Hopefully they want to be here because that’s our job.”

Everton have shown their mettle recently with a 4-0 win over Wolves before drawing 0-0 against Arsenal and Chelsea.

City are hoping to reverse a worrying dip in form that has seen them fall to seventh in the Premier League, four points behind fourth-placed Forest.

They had lost just nine of their last 106 games before embarking on this torrid 12-game stretch in which they suffered just as many defeats.

City are bottom of the Premier League formation table from their last eight games and have picked up a paltry four points – one less than second-worst Southampton, who recently sacked Russell Martin and replaced him with Ivan Juric.

At least the players’ wives and girlfriends were invited to the club’s Christmas party to lift spirits.

The likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gündogan appeared to enjoy the occasion, while their partners posted black and white pictures on Instagram.

Gündogan and his wife Sara went into the photo booth with Silva and his wife Ines Degener Tomaz.

They are looking to improve their form after losing nine of their last 12 games – an unprecedentedly poor performance for Guardiola

Guardiola added: “This situation is new for all of us.” It’s about us, all of us. The boys are running and trying harder than ever.

“People say we don’t run or fight, it’s about this player, this manager – that’s not what it’s about.”

“It’s about a lot of little details or some big details that make us not as good as we were.” But we have another opportunity on Boxing Day.

“We have players coming back and at some point we will be better.”