Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca will heavily rotate his starting lineup when Championship club Norwich City comes to town on Thursday night. The EFL Cup, which is basically fourth in line, priority wise when it comes to competitions, could see summer signings Geronimo Rulli and Allan feature for the first time in a Man City shirt. Rulli is a backup goalkeeper who came back to the club, from Marseille, for €2m in mid-August. Allan joined from Palmeiras for £34m this past transfer window.
What are the Manchester City vs. Norwich City FYIs?
When is kickoff?: Thursday Sept. 17, 7:30 pm
Where is it being played?: Etihad Stadium, Manchester, UK
Fun Fact: Man City are the reigning champions of the EFL Cup tournament, and they have won this tournament 9 times. To quote Dean Ed Rooney from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off: “NINE TIMES!”
Man City Preview Material: Injury/Suspension Updates Starting 11 Projection
Other changes we could see include Iliman Ndiaye in for the suspended Phil Foden. Elsewhere we could see a very rare starting assignment for players like Ayyoub Bouaddi, Rico Lewis and Mateo Kovacic.
Man City does not have the depth at the striker position to really rotate up top, but they will find a way to give Erling Haaland a rest here anyway.
So What is the Projected Lineup?
Geronimo Rulli; Abdukodir Khusanov, Vitor Reis, Marc Guehi, Rico Lewis; Nico O’Reilly, Mateo Kovacic, Ayyoub Bouaddi; Allan, Iliman Ndiaye; Antoine Semenyo
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, Ratings 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 and the Washington Post.