Predicted Starting Line-Up: Manchester City vs Watford (Carabao Cup Third Round) | OneFootball

Manchester City return to action just 49 hours after being held to a 2-2 draw by Premier League title rivals Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

In a hugely dramatic 90 minutes of action in a hotly-contested affair, John Stones rescued a deserved point for the Premier League champions with a 98th minute equaliser to deny a nine-man defensive line set-up by Mikel Arteta a big win away from home.

Erling Haaland had given City the lead inside 10 minutes, before goals from Riccardo Calafiori and Gabriel Magalhaes would move Arsenal into a 1-2 lead. Leandro Trossard’s second yellow card at the end of the first-half would ultimately cost his side, however.

With fixtures coming thick and fast and Pep Guardiola being firmly challenged by a growing injury list, Watford now visit the Etihad Stadium in the third round of the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night.

City will be without all of Nathan Ake, Rodri, Kevin De Bruyne, and Oscar Bobb for the fixture, with all players except the Belgian midfielder suffering from long-term injury problems and the Spaniard not expected back until some stage in 2025.

Erling Haaland will also play no part in the encounter on Tuesday night, having been permitted a period of leave away from the club to travel home to Norway for the funeral of close family friend, Ivar Eggja.

Ahead of Manchester City’s upcoming Carabao Cup third round clash against Championship side Watford, here is how we predict Pep Guardiola will line-up his side at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday night!

Predicted XI

Before we get started, this is almost an impossible task, with the exception of one position; Stefan Ortega Moreno will start.

Everything else in the starting line-up is largely guesswork on the basis that Pep Guardiola will still attempt to field a strong side with a view towards rest given the lack of a break since the meeting with Arsenal on Sunday afternoon.

At right-back, we believe Rico Lewis will come straight back into his position after being kept out of the side that drew to Mikel Arteta’s side, handing a much-needed break to club captain Kyle Walker.

In the centre of defence, it’s a few regular faces and the hero from the weekend, as we believe John Stones will start for Manchester City alongside Manuel Akanji, thus giving Ruben Dias a rest.

At left-back, and given the limited options as a result of Nathan Ake’s absence, we think there could be a rare opportunity handed to Josh Wilson-Esbrand, who featured for the club during their pre-season tour of the United States in the summer.

Rodri’s long-term injury means Tuesday night could be an opportunity for Pep Guardiola to test alternative options, and that chance could be handed to teenager Nico O’Reilly, who starred during pre-season in the double-pivot role.

Ahead of the Elite Development Squad captain, and supplying the creativity for Manchester City in midweek, Matheus Nunes and James McAtee could be granted opportunities to impress.

The forward line could be made up of three first-team stars, and we think Bernardo Silva could begin the contest on the right side of the front-three, despite completing 90 minutes against Arsenal on Sunday.

Phil Foden could lead the line on Tuesday night from the false-nine role, although the same operation could be fulfilled by McAtee.

Jack Grealish may also be handed the task of competing against the Championship side just 49 hours after a crucial role against Arsenal having appeared from the substitutes’ bench, hoping to add to his goals and assist tally for the ongoing season.

Starting XI: Ortega Moreno; Lewis, Stones, Akanji, Wilson-Esbrand; O’Reilly, Nunes, McAtee; Bernardo, Foden, Grealish.

Substitutes: Carson, Walker, Dias, Gvardiol, Wright, Kovacic, Gundogan, Savinho, Doku.