Manchester City could be without three players for Wednesday night’s Champions League match against Copenhagen.
Due to injury, the Citizens were missing both Rodri and John Stones in their 6-3 victory over Manchester United on Sunday, while Kyle Walker limped off just before halftime with lower leg discomfort.
Stones is expected to miss the game due to a hamstring injury, while Pep Guardiola is unlikely to risk the other two for Wednesday’s game, with Ilkay Gundogan potentially filling in for Rodri in a more profound midfield role – Kalvin Phillips is also out with a shoulder injury, increasing Gundogan’s chances of starting.
In Walker and Stones’ absences, Joao Cancelo is expected to move to right-back, while Sergio Gomez, who came off the bench to assist against United, could be given a start at left-back.
Guardiola chose Nathan Ake and Manuel Akanji at center-back in the Manchester derby. Still, both Ruben Dias and Aymeric Laporte will be pushing for starts against Copenhagen, with the latter coming off the bench for his first appearance of the season last weekend after undergoing knee surgery over the summer.
Guardiola is expected to keep playmakers Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva in the middle of the pitch, but he may make changes in the forward areas.
The Spanish boss has admitted that goal machine Erling Braut Haaland – who netted a record-breaking hat-trick against United – will be rested at some stage this season when he feels the time is right, but the Norwegian is still expected to lead the line on Wednesday.
Phil Foden – who also scored a hat-trick last weekend – will be battling to keep his place in the final third along with Jack Grealish, with Riyad Mahrez, Julian Alvarez, and Cole Palmer all hoping to force their way into the first XI.
Manchester City’s possible starting lineup: Ederson; Cancelo, Dias, Ake, Gomez; De Bruyne, Gundogan, Bernardo; Mahrez, Haaland, Grealish
