Manchester City head to Cardiff this weekend for the Community Shield with Arsenal in Enzo Maresca's first match in charge of the Blues on British soil.
City's Pre-Season and Team News
City played three friendlies across Hong Kong and South Korea and returned to Manchester on Monday ahead of the domestic campaign. The Premier League begins next weekend when Bournemouth visit the Etihad, and while many feel the Community Shield is nothing more than a glorified friendly, Maresca has spoken of his desire to take home the trophy on Sunday afternoon.
He may have to do so without a host of key players, with those City players who returned from their post-World Cup break this week unlikely to start.
Predicted Lineup and Key Absences
Gianluigi Donnarumma is a certain starter in goal, and the makeup of the back four will be interesting. Ruben Dias is set to captain the Blues from centre back, and Abdukodir Khusanov could play alongside him, allowing for Josko Gvardiol to play at left back with Nico O'Reilly and Marc Guehi only just back in full training. Matheus Nunes seems nailed on at right back.
There will be a Rodri-sized hole in the midfield with the Spain international expected to join Barcelona this month. In any event, he only returned to Manchester on Friday having undergone minor back surgery and won't be featuring this weekend. The game could come too soon for Elliot Anderson, and Tijjani Reijnders is moving to the Saudi Pro League, so City are light on central midfielders. It's perhaps two from Nico Gonzalez, Rico Lewis and Mateo Kovacic, and it might be the latter two who get the nod.
Attacking Options and Predicted XI
Antoine Semenyo is a certain starter on the flank having shone on the pre-season tour of Asia, and if it's too soon for those who missed the trip to Hong Kong and Korea, then Maresca will be showing his hand with his pick on the opposite side.
Savinho played plenty in pre-season but missed training on Thursday through illness and is the subject of transfer interest from Tottenham. Jack Grealish is back in full training but still seems set to move on this summer and is only just back in team training having recovered from a foot issue that he picked up on loan at Everton last season.
That could open the door for Rayan Ait-Nouri to play high and wide, having scored twice in pre-season, particularly if Omar Marmoush is needed to lead the line with Erling Haaland not expected to play from the start. Phil Foden can complete the XI with the likes of Jeremy Doku and Rayan Cherki options from the bench as they ease back into club life.
City predicted XI: Donnarumma, Nunes, Khusanov, Dias, Gvardiol; Lewis, Kovacic, Foden; Semenyo, Ait-Nouri, Marmoush.
