Yahoo Sports Micah Hamilton, Kalvin Phillips, Jack Grealish all to start – Predicted Starting Line-Up: Manchester City vs Chelsea (Pre-Season Friendly)
Manchester City embark on their final pre-season friendly of their 2024 US tour this summer, with a meeting against Premier League opposition in Chelsea.
Pep Guardiola’s side are expected to return to Manchester this weekend, as they gear up to be reunited with the rest of the first-team squad at the City Football Academy from Monday afternoon.
The squad are still going in search of their first win of the 2024/25 season, albeit in pre-season, having recorded two defeats at the hands of Celtic and AC Milan, before being held by FC Barcelona and losing out on penalties in Orlando.
Chelsea are Manchester City’s next and final opponents of their tour in the United States, in what will be Pep Guardiola’s first opportunity to assess the tactical vision being worked upon by his former colleague Enzo Maresca at Stamford Bridge.
The meeting between the two Premier League giants comes just two weeks before they are due to meet again, with the English top-flight’s opening weekend schedule bringing Chelsea and Manchester City together for a meeting in West London.
Manchester City have just the one minor injury and fitness concern ahead of Saturday night’s meeting at the Ohio Stadium in Columbus, with Erling Haaland recovering from “muscular niggles” sustained in the first-half against Barcelona.
Despite indicating to manager Pep Guardiola that he is now doing “much better”, it remains to be seen whether the Catalan coach will choose to utilise him from the offer in Ohio this weekend, or whether rest is deemed necessary before a crunch week for the club.
Ahead of tonight’s 22:30 (BST) kick-off between Pep Guardiola and Enzo Maresca’s sides, here is how we predict the Premier League champions Manchester City will line-up for the final time Stateside!
Predicted XI
Having started the last two matches in the United States, we believe rotation in goal will close off the tour with Stefan Ortega Moreno starting ahead of Ederson against Chelsea, as was the case in the tour opener against Celtic in North Carolina.
Following some relatively successful passages of play in the last contest against FC Barcelona, we believe there could only be one change to the defensive unit, with Josko Gvardiol starting at left-back and taking the place of Josh Wilson-Esbrand.
On the other side of defence, and taking up the right-back role that he has held for the most part of the tour of the United States, Rico Lewis is poised for another opportunity to impress and is highly likely to continue this run of starts into the FA Community Shield next weekend.
A central defensive pairing will continue to feature Kalvin Phillips on Saturday night, after he put in a largely faultless showing minus a few moments from right centre-back against Barcelona, with Callum Doyle utilised at left centre-back in this one.
Pep Guardiola was full of praise for the teenage midfielder in light of his performance against Barcelona, and as such we believe Nico O’Reilly will be handed another opportunity to excel and develop by starting in defensive midfield alongside Mateo Kovacic.
As for the advanced midfield role, and operating just short of the central and lone striker, this weekend could provide a further opportunity for Pep Guardiola to assess the talents of James McAtee ahead of a potential stay in the Manchester City first-team.
Micah Hamilton could be handed a rare start on the right side of a front-three this weekend, with our belief being that Erling Haaland may not be risked, and as such offering a chance to reshuffle the tactical pack.
Oscar Bobb could as such operate in a false-nine position, with the Norwegian holding an eye for goal, a pass, and the silky footwork to get out of tight spaces and work between the lines for Manchester City in offensive positions.
That leaves the left-sided forward role, and once again we’re expecting to see Jack Grealish start for the club as the Englishman continues to find his form and rebuild his momentum in a Manchester City shirt before the start of the season.
Starting XI: Ortega; Lewis, Phillips, Doyle, Gvardiol; O’Reilly, Kovacic, McAtee; Hamilton, Bobb, Grealish.
Substitutes: Ederson, Carson, Perrone, Wright, Samuel, Simpson-Pusey, Katongo, Ndala, Galvez, Susoho, Knight, Obavwoduo, Mbete, Heskey, Doyle, Fatah, Haaland.
