Manchester City begin their defence of the FA Cup on Sunday when they take on Championship strugglers Huddersfield at the Etihad Stadium.
Pep Guardiola’s side have won both matches since their return from the Club World Cup and are one of the heavy favourites for success in this competition, with Guardiola looking to add his previous two wins.
Man City have also been boosted after an indifferent start to the 2023/24 season by the return of important players from injuries. While Erling Haaland and Jeremy Doku are not expected to be risked here, their comebacks are not far away and Kevin De Bruyne is also edging his way back to full fitness, having made the bench against Sheffield United last time out.
Here’s the starting lineup Guardiola is expected to choose for Man City’s third-round clash with Huddersfield.
GK: Stefan Ortega – As expected, Ortega will be between the sticks instead of Ederson for the visit of Huddersfield.
RB: Rico Lewis – There will be a lot of rotation from the Sheffield United win and one of those changes will see Lewis take the place of Kyle Walker.
CB: Ruben Dias – There are some players Guardiola never wants to go without and Dias is one of them. It would be a surprise to see him play the whole 90 minutes here, although he was rested last week.
CB: Manuel Akanji – There are a handful of options here for the coach but Akanji has become very important to Man City and should start again.
LB: Sergio Gomez – Many think he should leave Man City this month as he gets so few games, so this is a chance to impress either Guardiola or potential suitors.
CM: Matheus Nunes – Has settled into a very rotational role for Man City since his arrival and would surely like more minutes in the Premier League.
CM: Kalvin Phillips – Phillips really needs a big display here as he tries to convince clubs to take a punt on him in January.
RW: Oscar Bobb – The Norwegian youngster is enjoying fairly regular substitute appearances at the moment and looks like a player Man City can get genuine use out of in the future.
AM: Phil Foden – So often used in a wider role, Foden is getting a run of games in the centre and will know there are goals to be scored on Sunday.
LW: Micah Hamilton – Having captured the eye in the Champions League, 20-year-old Hamilton could be in line for an FA Cup start here which will be a great occasion for him.
ST: Julian Alvarez – With Erling Haaland almost back, Alvarez knows this is one of his last chances to impress as the main striker for Man City.
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