Manchester City continue their defence of the Carabao Cup when they host Brighton at the Etihad Stadium in the fourth round on Wednesday night, with Enzo Maresca expected to make changes to his starting lineup.
Rotation expected despite strong opposition
City's squad depth means quality players are competing for game time, while Maresca has also looked to integrate young talents such as Floyd Samba and Ryan McAidoo. However, the strength of the upcoming opponents may lead to some established names retaining their starting roles.
Erling Haaland was a doubt for the matches against AEK Athens and Aston Villa but is fully fit and could lead the line again. Phil Foden has been in fine form recently and another strong display against Brighton could strengthen his case for a starting role in Premier League games.
Likely changes across the pitch
Jeremy Doku has been involved but not as much as he would like, so a start is expected to ease his playing time concerns. Summer signing Allan is still adapting to life in the Premier League, with more game time against top-flight opposition seen as valuable.
In midfield, Ayoub Bouaddi could come into the team alongside Mateo Kovacic. Rico Lewis looks set to start at right-back, while Nico O'Reilly is an option to replace Josko Gvardiol on the opposite side.
Defence and goalkeeper decisions
A centre-back pairing of Vitor Reis and Abdukodir Khusanov worked well against Norwich in the last round, and Geronimo Rulli was handed his City debut in that match. Maresca might be tempted to go with first-choice goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma instead.
Predicted Man City XI: Donnarumma; Lewis, Reis, Khusanov, O'Reilly; Kovacic, Bouaddi; Allan, Foden, Doku; Haaland.
Injured: Semenyo. The match kicks off at 7.30pm GMT on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, at the Etihad Stadium, and will be broadcast on Sky Sports.
