Manchester City and Watford have announced their starting lineups for tonight’s Carabao Cup third-round match at the Etihad Stadium. The match comes just 49 hours after City’s 2-2 draw against Arsenal, and Pep Guardiola has taken the opportunity to rotate his squad, giving some fringe players a chance to make an impact. Meanwhile, Watford will be eager to pull off an upset against the reigning world champions.
Guardiola will have to manage without several key players due to injuries. Oscar Bobb and Nathan Ake remain sidelined with long-term injuries, and Rodri, who sustained a serious knee injury during Sunday’s match against Arsenal, is also unavailable. Additionally, Kevin De Bruyne, who has been dealing with injury issues for some time, is not expected to play tonight.
In a personal note, City will also be without their star striker Erling Haaland, who has returned to Norway for the funeral of a close family friend, Ivar Eggja, as reported by Simon Bajkowski.
The starting lineup for Manchester City features significant changes, with Pep Guardiola making nine changes to the team that started against Arsenal. Only Kyle Walker and Jeremy Doku retain their places from the weekend.
Among the notable inclusions is 16-year-old defender Kaden Braithwaite, who will be making his first-team debut for City. Braithwaite, who has been highly regarded within the club’s academy, has a special opportunity to showcase his talent on this big stage.
The starting XI for Manchester City includes Stefan Ortega in goal, with a backline of Walker, John Stones, Braithwaite, and Rico Lewis. In midfield, City will field O’Reilly, Matheus Nunes, and McAtee, while the attacking trio consists of Doku, Jack Grealish, and Phil Foden.
On the bench, Guardiola has opted for a strong set of substitutes, with Ederson, Ruben Dias, Mateo Kovacic, Ilkay Gundogan, Bernardo Silva, Josko Gvardiol, Manuel Akanji, Savinho, and Wright all available if needed during the match.
This match promises to be an exciting contest, with Manchester City’s rotation giving younger players a chance to shine, while Watford looks to take advantage of City’s absences and cause an upset.
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