As the final phase of the run-in begins on Saturday, with a visit to Everton FC, Manchester City will be without their most important players for a majority of it.
Their most valuable player, Rodri, has long been ruled out for the season. Leading scorer Erling Haaland, the face of the team, may not return this term either.
Manchester City at Everton FC FYIs
Kickoff: Sat April 20, 3pm, Goodison Park, Liverpool, UK
Manchester City Preview Content: Starting Lineup Prediction Team News
Premier League Standing: Manchester City 5th, 55 pts, Everton FC 13th, 38 points
Google Probability: Manchester City win 49% Draw 26% Everton FC win 25%
You also have three first choice defenders: Nathan Ake, Manuel Akanji and John Stones not coming back until some point in May, if at all. And now the latest, Ederson (groin injury) could miss most of the remainder as well.
This is not a recipe for success.
The chances of catching Newcastle United (especially with the way that they have been playing) for the fourth and final Uefa Champions League qualification slot are certainly diminishing now by the week.
Manchester City Starting Lineup Prediction at Everton FC
Stefan Ortega; Matheus Nunes, Ruben Dias, Josko Gvardiol, Nico O’Reilly; Ilkay Gundogan, Nico Gonzalez; Savinho, Jack Grealish, Jeremy Doku; Omar Marmoush
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. 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