Manchester City's Euro 2012 stars were given a testing return to club action as Oldham beat the Barclays Premier League champions at Boundary Park on Tuesday.
While the majority of their first-team colleagues concluded a tour of the Far East, England trio Joe Hart, Joleon Lescott and James Milner enjoyed their first close-season outings alongside France pair Gael Clichy and Samir Nasri.
Holland's Nigel de Jong took the armband and made his second appearance in four days having started Saturday's 2-1 reserve win at Stockport, while the rest of City's line-up was comprised of academy products and Etihad Stadium outcast Roque Santa Cruz - scorer of his side's equaliser after Robbie Simpson gave the Latics an early advantage.
Having spent the majority of the contest firmly on the back foot, Paul Dickov's npower League One outfit snatched victory in stoppage time as summer recruit Jonathan Grounds rifled home from Connor Hughes' left-wing corner.
City fell behind in the fourth minute when Clichy passed loosely for Oldham to break and Simpson clinically slotted his fourth goal of pre-season with a shot across Hart.
Mario Jelavic, a Croatia Under-19 international on trial with Roberto Mancini's squad, should have equalised but stabbed wide from close range, while Latics goalkeeper Alex Cisak was rooted to the spot when Milner flashed a 25-yard drive past the upright midway through the half.
Jelavic made a better fist of things in the 36th minute, clipping Nasri's 36th-minute pass against Cisak's near post.
The Australian keeper thwarted Milner twice either side of the interval, but could do nothing in the 53rd minute as Santa Cruz rounded him to score after a loose ball fell kindly.
Around the hour City's five returnees made way for a collection of youngsters including Slovakian playmaker Albert Rusnak, who drew two more excellent stops from Cisak before Grounds' late intervention.
Despite the defeat, Attilio Lombardo was pleased to see a host of Manchester City's Euro 2012 stars come through their return to club action.
Lombardo, manager of City's elite development squad, took charge of the Barclays Premier League champions at Boundary Park with boss Roberto Mancini and the majority of his first team only recently back from their tour of the Far East.
It's a big day,' said Lombardo. 'It was important for those players to improve fitness. I think it is much more important than the result.'
City found success during their Asian tour with a new-look 3-5-2 formation, a system in evidence once more tonight following direct instruction from Mancini.
'I talked with Roberto last night before travelling back to Manchester and he asked me was it possible to play three at the back?' said Lombardo.
'I don't know which (formation) it will be in the Premier League. Some teams will play like us and some will play 4-4-2.'
City are yet to begin their summer spending despite persistent links with the likes of wantaway Arsenal star Robin van Persie.
Nevertheless, Lombardo insists himself and the Etihad Stadium backroom staff are at ease with the situation at present.
'It is not strange,' he added. 'We have one month more to pick up our targets.
'I think we have time for that and we are also strong without new players.
'I don't know about new players in this month - it's not my job that one!'
SPORTSMAIL REPORTER
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