Manchester derby in China abandoned

The pre-season Manchester derby that would have pitted City's new manager Pep Guardiola against his United counterpart Jose Mourinho has been cancelled hours before Monday's encounter due to weather concerns in Beijing.

"Due to recent weather events, tournament organisers and participating clubs have decided to cancel tonight's International Champions Cup game," United said in a statement on their official website (www.manutd.com).

New United manager Mourinho had criticised conditions at the Bird's Nest stadium, where torrential rain had soaked the playing surface, and voiced his concerns on the matter prior to the game.

The match would have marked an early renewal of Mourinho's rivalry with Guardiola, dating back to their days in charge of Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively.