Man City Predicted Lineup vs. Wydad AC: What Roles Will Cherki, Reijnders Play? | OneFootball

A new-look Manchester City are set to take the stage in the United States this summer, and their opening game of the Club World Cup is on the horizon.

Several members of Pep Guardiola’s old guard won’t be representing the Cityzens across the Atlantic, with Jack Grealish and Kyle Walker out of the squad and Kevin De Bruyne moving to Italy.

The club certainly hasn’t messed around in building their next great team, and the Club World Cup represents an ideal opportunity for Guardiola to bed his newbies in long before the start of the 2025–26 season.

Moroccan outfit Wydad AC are up first for Man City, and here‘s how they could line up in Philadelphia on Wednesday.

Man City Predicted Lineup vs. Wydad AC (4-2-3-1)

Man City concluded the 2024–25 season on a high note. / IMAGO/Every Second Media

GK: Ederson—There has been speculation that Ederson will be on the move this summer, but the Brazilian remains City’s number one and it doesn’t look like he’ll depart anytime soon.

RB: Rico Lewis—Matheus Nunes developed into Guardiola’s preferred right-back option after Walker was loaned to Milan, but this is a good chance for Lewis to earn a start at the tournament.

CB: Rúben Dias—The impressive box defender will be in high spirits after winning the UEFA Nations League with Portugal. Guardiola has younger alternatives to call upon, but Dias’ presence as a leader will be important given the array of fresh faces.

CB: Josko Gvardiol—After starring as a marauding left-back in his debut season, Gvardiol reverted to centre-back during the second half of 2024–25 and struck up a solid partnership with Dias.

LB: Rayan Aït-Nouri—The Algerian international joined the club from Wolverhampton Wanderers without much fuss, and he’ll compete with youngster Nico O’Reilly for minutes at this tournament.

CM: Rodri—Guardiola said City would be “careful” with Rodri after he returned from a long-term knee injury in May, but the 2024 Ballon d‘Or winner did make a couple of appearances to close out the domestic season. The Spaniard is believed to be ready for the start of the Club World Cup.

CM: Tijjani Reijnders—City are without Mateo Kovačić for the tournament, so there’s a chance we see the exciting new addition Reijnders partner Rodri and perform an İlkay Gündoğan-like role in Guardiola’s midfield.

RW: Savinho—Will Pep simply opt for all the dribblers in the world? His latest City team could be lots of fun, and live-wire Savinho should be a part of it down the right.

AM: Rayan Cherki—Cherki has already made quite the impression, all things told, and the French international is poised for a big tournament with his new club.

LW: Omar Marmoush—The January addition sparkled in patches during his first six months with the club, and this is another chance for Marmoush to familiarise himself with Guardiola’s ideals before his first full season.

ST: Erling Haaland—After missing out on Golden Boot honours to Mohamed Salah in the Premier League, Haaland will be keen to top the scoring charts in the U.S. this summer.