With so many first-teamers out along with players who need resting / protecting, which leaves us with a fairly threadbare defence in particular; I wonder if our visitors will ‘smell blood’ and fancy turning around a 5-0 deficit tonight (8:00pm KO GMT)?
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| Etihad Stadium |
Predicted line-up, subs and outcome:
(Number correct from the starting line-up in the last game: 10/11).
Down to the ‘bare bones’ in some ways…
Fluid 4-1-4-1 / 4-2-3-1 / 4-6-0 / 4-3-3:
______________________________________________
_____________________Jesus____________________
Grealish________________________________Sterling
_____________________________McAtee___________
_________Gundogan____________________________
_____________________Rodri_____________________
Zinchenko________________________________Stones
___________Laporte____________Fernandinho______
_____________________Ederson__________________
Subs: Carson, Slicker, Wilson-Esbrand, Egan-Riley, Mbete, Lavia, Silva, De Bruyne, Bobb, Kayky, Delap.
Ederson has the gloves.
I think the only two defenders I would have down as “certainties”, for now at least, are Oleksandr & Aymeric - I believe that unless Pep trusts in a youth player to run the other flanking defensive position then it’ll be John who will be asked to cover that role once more. That’s what I’m going for and if I’m correct, I can see our club captain being asked to-also cover a position he’s played in before; leaving us with just one player in the back 4, Aymeric, who will be playing in his natural position.
Rodders, therefore, is surely needed tonight…and needed more than ever to keep an extra eye over his shoulder. Additionally, I can see Ilkay being asked to help with defensive midfield duties and we might even see the Spaniard & German internationals ‘sit in as a 2’.
Either way, ahead of all of those I can see an attacking 4 of Jack, James, Raheem & Gabriel.
12 allowed on the subs bench in this competition but I can only find 11 to ‘stick in there’…and I get the feeling that Pep won’t even bother putting 11 on the side for this one. However…
2 reserve keepers, I would have thought, in the form of Scott & Cieran; Josh, Conrad & Luke are the 3, very-young defenders amongst the subs. Romeo, Bernardo, Kevin, Oscar, Kayky & Liam are the midfield / wing / attacking options waiting to receive ‘the call’.
Notable absences:
- Zack Steffen – Despite a fairly detailed report from our manager regarding who is injured, there was no mention of the American stopper…and neither did any of the journalists ask in the pre-match press conference. Initially – and following Zack missing out on his country’s last outing – it was due to a back injury; then he came back briefly, then he was out with a shoulder issue and now one site has him out until mid-March…with a back problem, although I don’t know what their source is. Therefore – and regardless - I’m just assuming that he’s out for this match. 🙄
- Benjamin Mendy – Suspended by the club until further notice.
- Joao Cancelo – Out of action with an illness. If it’s Covid – and I’m not suggesting for one second that it is – it could be more than just this fixture that the versatile wing-back misses…
- Kyle Walker – Suspended. And it seems I was right when I posted recently about a ‘gut feeling’ that Pep might [still] be annoyed with the England man following is reckless action towards the end of a ‘dead rubber’ Champions League game back in December. When the subject was brought up in the pre-match press conference yesterday, our manager admitted that he was still so angry with him…and he looked it.
- Nathan Ake – Still not recovered from a recent injury in time for this fixture. Pep went into more detail about the Dutch defender in that Nathan is close to a return but the club’s doctors have advised not to rush him back; it would be too risky to do so, by all accounts, and with other defenders missing for a variety of reasons also, it would be silly to bring him back too soon. My feeling is that the Palace league game on Monday night could be 50/50 too…
- Ruben Dias – Out for 3-½ to 5-½ weeks with a hamstring injury.
- Cole Palmer – Similar to Zack Steffen – Guardiola neither mentioned the young, attacking midfielder and neither did anyone ask about him. Last we heard ahead of the derby last weekend is that Cole was close to resuming training…but that same website has him missing until around mid-March with the same foot injury he picked up over 2 months ago. I’ve assumed that he’s not ready for tonight.
Do I agree with Pep’s (predicted) line-up?
Result? Who on earth could predict this one?! I’ve had every result in my head over the last couple of days from a narrow defeat, a well-earned draw to a narrow victory; where Pep plays a number of kids and they go on do themselves proud against a side who are vastly more experienced but who had half given up on the tie before the ball was even kicked.
Flip a coin…
I suppose all things considered; I’m going for the draw.
Last season’s, corresponding pre-match prediction and result…
Prediction: N/A
Result: N/A
Expected weather conditions during the game: Dry, windy and mild for the time of year in the UK and for a night game in early-to-mid March in particular (10C).
Solidarity
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