Manchester City will be hosting Bournemouth in the third round of the Carabao Cup on Thursday. Now that we know the team news for this one, what kind of team will Pep Guardiola field?
The Sky Blues got their Premier League campaign off to the best possible start with a 3-1 win over Wolves. But they have injury woes to deal with here and that is sure to have an impact on Pep Guardiola’s team selection. The Manchester club’s strong bench allows them to rotate heavily as they can bring in players such as Raheem Sterling.
In goal, Ederson will likely make way for American Zack Steffen who will be making his first appearance for the club. Guardiola is not going to change his trusted 4-3-3 formation, but we will see some new faces.
A healed up Eric Garcia should come into the team at right-back. On the other flank we will likely see Frenchman Benjamin Mendy. As for the centre of defence, Nicolas Otamendi should come in and partner with Nathan Ake. The Dutchman will get the chance to face his former team.
We can expect to see some fresh faces in midfield. With an eye on the upcoming Premier League games, players such as Kevin De Bruyne and Rodri will be rested. This will open up opportunities to Adrian Bernabe and Tommy Doyle. They will play the more advanced roles and the defensive responsibility will be handed over to Fernandinho who excels in this position.
In attack too, we will see some rotation. On the flanks Ferran Torres should get his first start. The former Valencia man will want to make a good impression and this will be a good chance to do that. On the opposite flank we will probably see a more familiar face in Riyad Mahrez.
Leading the line will be teenager Liam Delap who will be replacing Gabriel Jesus. With Sergio Aguero out with a knee surgery, Delap’s chances might be on the rise. If he can put on a good showing vs Bournemouth, it will improve his standing with the manger.
Even with a heavily changed team, Manchester City will be confident of getting a win here.
Predicted Manchester City Starting XI against Bournemouth (4-3-3):
Zack Steffen, Eric Garcia, Benjamin Mendy, Nathan Ake, Nicolas Otamendi, Fernandinho, Adrian Bernabe, Tommy Doyle, Ferran Torres, Liam Delap, Riyad Mahrez