After securing a thumping 5-0 victory over Arsenal before the international break, Manchester City will be hoping to maintain their momentum as they take on Leicester City on Saturday. It is going to be a far trickier challenge up against the Foxes, who know how to frustrate the opposition and take advantage on the counter.
Predicted Manchester City Lineup Vs Leicester City
Defence
Pep Guardiola doesn’t have to deal with too many injury issues, with Benjamin Mendy being the only one unavailable, after being suspended by the club.
As such, there shouldn’t be any changes to the side that started against Arsenal, with Joao Cancelo continuing to serve as the club’s number one left-back. Kyle Walker should continue on the opposite flank as well, in a far more traditional role, though the Englishman may also be asked to drop deeper to support the centre-backs during attacking instances.
Guardiola has no reason whatsoever to tinker with his central defensive duo of Ruben Dias and John Stones. But there is an issue in the goal.
Ederson is out due to quarantine regulations while second-choice ‘keeper Zack Steffen is struggling with Covid-19. It makes the veteran Scott Carson an unlikely favourite to start in goal for Man City this weekend.
Midfield
In midfield, Kevin de Bruyne was a known absentee for Manchester City and didn’t even participate for Belgium during the international break. His continued absence should pave the way for Bernardo Silva to start once again, in the advanced midfield role alongside Ilkay Gundogan.
As for the holding midfield position, Rodri is favoured to start ahead of Fernandinho. The Spaniard is expected to play a vital role, as he goes up against the likes of Youri Tielemans and James Maddison.
Attack
In the attack, Phil Foden remains a doubt, which means Guardiola won’t make too many changes from the side that faced Arsenal. Riyad Mahrez and Jack Grealish have both been first-team regulars so far, and even though Raheem Sterling is pushing for a start after impressing in midweek, things are unlikely to change, as far as attacking personnel is concerned.
As for the lone number nine spot, Ferran Torres has shown tremendous promise and should once again spearhead the Man City frontline. It is an exciting opportunity for him to make his presence felt and potentially become the focal point of the club’s attack in the years to come.
