Manchester City faces Liverpool in the FA Cup quarter-final at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday afternoon, with Pep Guardiola serving a touchline ban.
The Blues head into this cup clash following their recent triumph, having secured their first trophy in two seasons before the international break. They claimed victory over Arsenal in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley in March, thanks to a brace from Nico O’Reilly.
Advertisement
Guardiola will not be on the sidelines as his team battles the current Premier League champions, serving the second match of a two-game touchline ban incurred after receiving a sixth domestic yellow card of the season against Newcastle United last month.
City, now led by assistant coach Pepijn Lijnders facing his former side Liverpool, saw Ruben Dias miss the Carabao Cup final due to a hamstring injury, with the severity of his condition still unclear as they enter a challenging series of fixtures against Liverpool (FA Cup), Chelsea (Premier League), and Arsenal (Premier League).
Manchester City vs Liverpool (FA Cup Quarter-Final): Match Preview, Team News, Head to Head, How to Watch
John Stones withdrew from international duty with England last week due to a calf injury sustained prior to the Three Lions’ 1-1 draw with Uruguay, a match that also saw Phil Foden leave due to a severe ankle injury inflicted by Ronald Araujo.
City has yet to reintegrate Mateo Kovacic, who has returned to full training following Achilles surgery. Meanwhile, Josko Gvardiol is making good progress in his recovery and is expected to start running soon after undergoing surgery for a tibial fracture in January.
Advertisement
Liverpool is experiencing a challenging title defense this season as they seek UEFA Champions League qualification. They are looking to conclude a lackluster campaign positively by pursuing the FA Cup, despite a lengthy injury list affecting several key players.
As we approach the 12:45 (UK) kick-off for Saturday’s FA Cup quarter-final between Manchester City and Liverpool, here are the confirmed lineups from the Etihad Stadium.
Manchester City
Starting XI: Trafford, Nunes, Khusanov, Guehi, O’Reilly, Rodri, Bernardo, Semenyo, Cherki, Doku, Haaland
Advertisement
Substitutes: Donnarumma, Reijnders, Ake, Marmoush, Kovacic, Nico, Ait-Nouri, Savinho, Foden
Liverpool
Starting XI: Mamardashvili, Gomez, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez, Gravenberch, Jones, Szoboszlai, Salah, Wirtz, Ekitike
Substitutes: Woodman, Mac Allister, Chiesa, Gakpo, Robertson, Frimpong, Nyoni, Morrison, Ngumoha