Manchester City will be without Ruben Dias, Julian Alvarez and Kalvin Phillips when they return to Premier League action at Leeds.
Dias will be out for a month with a hamstring injury, while Alvarez has been given time off after helping Argentina win the World Cup.
City manager Pep Guardiola said England midfielder Kalvin Phillips was “overweight” after returning from the World Cup and the £45m summer signing from Leeds will not feature against his former club at Elland Road.
“He is not injured,” said Guardiola. “He came in overweight.
When asked why, Guardiola replied: “I don’t know. He didn’t arrive in condition to train and play.”
Aymeric Laporte and Nathan Ake will battle it out for Dias’ place on the left of City’s central defensive partnership. Both played in the Carabao Cup win over Liverpool on Thursday as Erling Haaland returned to the net after the World Cup break.
Kyle Walker and Joao Cancelo were unused substitutes for this match and should be included in the starting line-up, while Phil Foden, Bernardo Silva and Jones Stones are all eyeing a return to the playing XI.
Predicted Manchester City XI: Ederson; Walker, Stones, Laporte, Cancelo; Silva, Rodri, De Bruyne; Mahrez, Haaland, Foden.
Leave a comment