There are no real changes in the team news situation, for Manchester City, as they welcome in Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday. However, there is a bit of a change in their season outlook, following the loss to Nottingham Forest last weekend.
That was certainly a statement of intent for the Tricky Trees, who are as serious as can be when it comes to top four ambitions.
Brighton & Hove Albion at Manchester City FYIs
Kick-off time: 3PM GMT, Saturday, March 15, Etihad Stadium, Manchester, UK
Form Guide Premier League: Brighton LWWWW Manchester City LWLWL
Premier League Position: Brighton 46 pts, 7th Manchester City 5th, 47th pts
Result Probability: Brighton win 21% Draw 22% Manchester City win 57%
Team News vs Brighton
That result means Man City are back to being the hunters, not the hunted, when it comes to securing that coveted fourth and final UEFA Champions League qualification slot for next season.
In looking at the injury situation, Nathan Ake underwent surgery for his foot, and it looks like he’ll join Rodri in being out for the season. The same fate could befall John Stones, although the English central defender still has a chance of coming back at some point in the final month.
Manuel Akanji is kind of in the same boat, although his outlook is slightly more optimistic. No one knows anything about when Oscar Bobb will return.
Starting XI Prediction vs Brighton
Ederson; Matheus Nunes, Abdukodir Khusanov, Ruben Dias, Josko Gvardiol; Nico Gonzalez, Mateo Kovacic; Phil Foden, Bernardo Silva, Jack Grealish; Erling Haaland
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.