Manchester City's proposed friendly with UAE league champions Al Ain has been cancelled after they were taken to an FA Cup replay by Blackburn Rovers, manager Manuel Pellegrini confirmed.
Abu Dhabi-owned City were due to travel to the UAE for a match against Al Ain on January 14 to open the club's new Hazaa Bin Zayed Stadium, but instead they must prepare for the replay with second-tier Blackburn.
Alvaro Negredo put City in front on the stroke of half-time in the third-round tie at Ewood Park, only for Blackburn captain Scott Dann to earn his side a 1-1 draw with a 55th-minute equaliser.
City later had right-back Dedryck Boyata sent off for two bookable offences.
With City second in the Premier League and also still in contention in the League Cup and the Champions League, the replay is a fixture that Pellegrini could do without, but he believes that it could prove beneficial.
"You never know what is better," he said. "We were going to be travelling to Abu Dhabi and having a friendly match there, now we are going to play against Blackburn Rovers at home. What is better? It is impossible to know.
"It (the replay) is not an extra problem. We have to play another match and have the squad to do it, but we will continue making the rotation. That is better for the squad."
