Pep Guardiola could be forced into several changes for this weekend’s trip to Bournemouth, with Manchester City dealing with a spate of recent injuries.
The Premier League champions are set to be without at least six players, while there are concerns about several others. “We have many doubts. Most of them are half-half,” Pep Guardiola confirmed in his pre-match press conference.
“We will see tomorrow when we wake up and I will talk to some players [to see] how they feel, and the doctors.”
In defence, there are question marks surrounding the fitness of Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol, while Kyle Walker is definitely ruled out. But it’s in more offensive areas where City are more vulnerable.
Rodri is out for the remainder of the season and Kevin De Bruyne won’t be back soon. Nico O’Reilly and James McAtee started in midweek but, even with the injury concerns, will likely drop out of the XI at the Vitality.
Erling Haaland will almost certainly return to the team after sitting out in midweek, but it’s in the wide areas where City are particularly stretched. Oscar Bobb is out, while Jack Grealish and Jeremy Doku won’t be back until after the November international break.
Savinho is another doubt, with Guardiola confirming on Friday that the Brazilian’s injury against Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday wasn’t as serious as first feared and he could even be back for the trip to Bournemouth.
With all that in mind, here’s the XI we expect Guardiola to name at the Vitality…
1. MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 22: Ruben Dias of Manchester City talks to teammates Erling Haaland, Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Guendogan during the Premier League match between Manchester City FC and Arsenal FC at Etihad Stadium on September 22, 2024 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)
Manchester City predicted line-up v Bournemouth | Getty Images
2. GK: Ederson
Kept a rare Premier League clean sheet last week and will be hoping for the same at the Vitality. Ederson should return to the team after dropping out in midweek.
3. RB: Rico Lewis
Guardiola said on Wednesday that Lewis is the one player he can't rest at present, especially with Walker out.
4. CB: Manuel Akanji
Missed the Spurs loss with a last-minute injury but said in the build-up to the Bournemouth match that he is fit to play.