By 90min | Created at 2024-10-29 21:33:00 | Updated at 2024-11-05 03:25:35
6 days ago
The Carabao Cup was once a competition valued by an all-conquering Manchester City team, but Pep Guardiola has said he won't "waste energy" trying to claim the first piece of proper silverware available in the English football calendar this season.
The City boss has insisted that his "second team" will be utilised throughout the competition, but just how many times we get to see a heavily rotated Cityzens XI remains to be seen. They've got a tricky assignment in the fourth round on Wednesday as they travel to Tottenham.
City overcame their curse at Spurs' swanky new ground with two victories in N17 last season, one of which arrived when huge swathes of the home faithful were willing an away win to ensure Arsenal failed to lift the Premier League title.
The occasion won't be so grand on Wednesday, especially with Guardiola shuffling his pack considerably.
16-year-old Kaden Braitwaite is poised for another Carabao Cup start / Carl Recine/GettyImages
GK: Stefan Ortega - Ortega will start every domestic cup game for City this season, and he's returning to the ground where he made a title-saving stop from Son Heung-min in May.
RB: Rico Lewis - Kyle Walker is out injured, so we should see academy graduate Lewis retain his place in the team at right-back. The youngster could face up against experienced Spurs skipper Son or exciting teenager Mikey Moore.
CB: John Stones - Stones has been among the goals as of late, but he was named on the bench at the weekend for a comfortable win over Southampton. The Englishman should marshal the backline on Wednesday and likely captain the side.
CB: Kaden Braithwaite - The 16-year-old made an impresssion during City's third-round victory over Watford and will be the youngest inclusion in the XI for the trip to N17.
LB: Nathan Ake - Josko Gvardiol will not be risked with Guardiola now able to call upon Ake, who returned from injury last week but was an unused substitute on Saturday. The Dutchman scored City's first-ever goal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in January.
CM: Nico O'Reilly - There's plenty of buzz surrounding 19-year-old O'Reilly, and this is a great chance for the young midfielder to impress against good opposition.
CM: Ilkay Gundogan - O'Reilly should have an experienced head alongside him in the middle of the park, and there's no better option than Gundogan.
RM: Savinho - Guardiola's options out wide are slim with Jeremy Doku and Jack Grealish nursing injuries, so we should see crafty wide playmaker Savinho remain in the XI.
AM: James McAtee - McAtee has featured sporadically this season, with the bulk of his minutes likely to arrive in cup competitions. He was on the scoresheet during Man City's 4-0 thumping of Slovan Bratislava earlier this month.
LM: Matheus Nunes - The Portuguese midfielder impressed off the left during City's defeat of Sparta Prague last week and is in what some coaches might describe as a 'good moment'. Nunes will want to continue his mini-upsurge in midweek.
ST: Phil Foden - Erling Haaland will earn some respite ahead of Saturday's trip to Bournemouth, with Guardiola likely to return to an old favourite and utilise a diminutive playmaker in the most advanced central position. Foden will have the freedom of N17 to have an influence on proceedings from wherever he pleases.
