Manchester City return to Premier League action tonight with Tottenham the visitors to the Etihad.
The Blues are in the midst of a four-game losing streak but have been bolstered over the international break by Pep Guardiola penning a new two-year contract and a number of injured players returning to training. Those positives have been tempered a touch by the news that Mateo Kovacic faces up to a month on the sidelines with an injury sustained on international duty with Croatia.
His absence will be keenly felt given Rodri’s season is already over. Kovacic has been filling in admirably in the middle of midfield and it could see Guardiola spring something of a selection surprise.
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John Stones, back in training but light on minutes, could be pressed into action in the middle of midfield. It’s a role he has performed before, and well too. But it would be asking a lot of a player who has missed the last few weeks with a foot issue to slot in against a team of Tottenham’s potential.
Yet the options facing Guardiola are slim and a midfield base of Stones and Ilkay Gundogan would offer a ball playing ability and defensive nous. Bernardo Silva and Phil Foden, fit again after withdrawing from the England squad, are likely starters while the remaining role behind Erling Haaland could go to Jack Grealish.
He has been hampered by injury issues this term but his ball retention could be crucial against a side such as Spurs who thrive on transition. Kevin De Bruyne must be close to returning to the starting XI but perhaps next week’s European encounter with Feyenoord offers the more sensible choice.
Savinho has had a lengthy international break trip with Brazil so may have to make do with a a place on the bench while Jeremy Doku has been nursing an injury and remains a doubt.
Erling Haaland will start up front fresh from four goals in two games for Norway during the international break while Ederson, despite also being away with Brazil, will continue in goal as one of City’s best performing players this season.
Nathan Ake and Manuel Akanji are back in training and if both are fit then they surely start at centre back with Ruben Dias sidelined and Stones pushed further forward. Josko Gvardiol has made the left back slot his own while Rico Lewis could get the nod on the right having sat out the second of England’s Nations League games while Kyle Walker played 150 minutes across two fixtures despite having been short of form and fitness at club level.
Predicted City XI: Ederson; Lewis, Akanji, Stones, Gvardiol; Stones, Gundogan, Foden; Grealish, Bernardo, Haaland
