Manchester City will be praying to avoid another nightmarish result during their poor run of form when they entertain local rivals Manchester United on Sunday.
The reigning Premier League champions seemed to be recovering after taking four points from two domestic outings, but defeat to Juventus in the Champions League has plunged Pep Guardiola’s team back into crisis. On top of that, the Catalan has fewer and fewer options as injuries and suspensions start to pile up.
He also has to overcome a mental hurdle, given new United head coach Ruben Amorim inflicted one of City’s more damaging defeats when he was still at Sporting CP just last month.
Which players can Guardiola turn to? Here’s the City team that could be deployed this weekend.
GK: Stefan Ortega – Ederson was offered the chance to win back his regular starting spot in goal but a blunder from the Brazilian against Juve makes it more likely Ortega will return to the lineup.
RB: Kyle Walker – Walker has been run into the ground by City’s injury crisis and it’s beginning to show. The England international has been sluggish in recent months but won’t get any time to rest this weekend, especially with Rico Lewis suspended.
CB: Ruben Dias – Dias recently claimed how City dig themselves out of their current hole will do more for the club’s legacy than winning the treble or four Premier League titles in a row. He talks a good game, but recent performances have been well below the standards the Portugal international previously set.
CB: Jahmai Simpson-Pusey – Nathan Ake, Manuel Akanji and John Stones are all absent, leaving Guardiola with few options to partner Dias. Simpson-Pusey, whose two starts have been in defeats to Sporting CP and Brighton & Hove Albion, may be forced to deputise.
LB: Josko Gvardiol – Having partnered Dias in Turin on Wednesday, Gvardiol will likely be shunted back out to left-back. The Croatian has been suspect defensively and will face a stern examination if United start Amad Diallo against him.
DM: Mateo Kovacic – Kovacic was back on the bench in midweek but didn’t make it onto the pitch. The former Chelsea midfielder could be thrown in for his first appearance since mid November after recovering from injury.
RW: Savinho – The 20-year-old Brazilian is still flattering to deceive on City’s right, having contributed no goals alongside four assists in all competitions.
AM: Bernardo Silva – Has stood up to be counted in recent weeks, striking against Nottingham Forest before assisting Lewis against Palace.
AM: Kevin De Bruyne – The Belgian has been eased back into the team since recovering from injury but could make a third start in a little over a week at the Etihad. Has pulled the strings in previous routs of United and a vintage display would go down pretty well with Guardiola.
LW: Matheus Nunes – The former Wolves midfielder has been repurposed into a wide player at City over the past few months and has shown some of his best form in that role.
ST: Erling Haaland – The Norwegian behemoth still has 18 goals in all competitions in 2024/25 but his aura has dropped significantly during City’s poor run. Still, he scored a hat-trick in his first Manchester derby in a 6-3 thrashing just over two years ago.
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