Man City XI vs Manchester United: Starting lineup, confirmed team news and injury latest for Premier League

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Evening Standard

·15 dicembre 2024

Man City XI vs Manchester United: Starting lineup, confirmed team news and injury latest for Premier League

Pep Guardiola forced to improvise for pivotal Manchester derby clash

Manchester City’s availability crisis means Pep Guardiola had had to get creative for the Manchester derby at the Etihad.

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Rico Lewis is suspended and City are without the injured John Stones, Nathan Ake and Manuel Akanji, meaning Guardiola has only three senior defenders available.

Guardiola has said he may need to use midfielders as makeshift full-backs or wing-backs, and it looks as though either Bernardo Silva or Matheus Nunes could be at left-back.

“I don't know what I have to do,” said the City boss.

“Maybe some winger has to play as a full-back or Matheus [Nunes] as a full-back, or maybe can play five at the back with wing-backs as wingers.”

Phil Foden and Mateo Kovacic returned to the City squad for Wednesday’s 2-0 Champions League defeat to Juventus and Foden is in the starting lineup here, with Kovacic on the bench.