Media & Fans Predicted XI: Southampton vs Man City (Carabao Cup Quarter-Final)

Pep Guardiola is expected to rotate his team for Manchester City’s Carabao Cup quarter-final tie against Southampton on Wednesday.

City are always among the favourites to win this competition and won’t expect any troubles from a Southampton side rooted to the bottom of the Premier League.

Team News

After Pep Guardiola’s failed experiment with the City team at Stamford Bridge last week, the Catalan opted for a more familiar approach when his side met Chelsea again at the Etihad, where several starting players impressed.

Aymeric Laporte made a welcome return to the City starting lineup on Sunday after recovering from a knock, yet Ruben Dias remains unavailable as the only absentee due to a hamstring injury he sustained just after the World Cup.

Jack Grealish was absent from Guardiola’s 20-man squad in the FA Cup due to illness but has been pictured in training today by club photographers.

‘Cup keeper’ Stefan Ortega is expected to start again in between the sticks. In front of the German could be any of City’s many in-form defenders. John Stones and Nathan Ake were rested against Chelsea and could come back in.

Sergio Gomez impressed with Kyle Walker in the full-back positions, and the pair may have earned another start. But 18-year-old Rico Lewis will be eyeing a return to the starting lineup given his impressive form.

In midfield, Kalvin Phillips is in line to make his first start for the club; Guardiola stated this afternoon that we will ‘have to see’ if the former Leeds man will start at St Mary’s.

Club captain Ilkay Gundogan and Kevin De Bruyne were unused substitutes last time out and could return here, but Phil Foden may have done enough to keep his place in midfield after a strong display on Sunday.

Riyad Mahrez and Jack Grealish came off the bench to combine for the winner last week in West London. Mahrez then delivered a Man of the Match display on Sunday. They’re in line to start on the wings, though with the uncertainty surrounding Grealish’s fitness, Cole Palmer may be given another chance to shine.

With a mammoth run of fixtures on the horizon for the Citizens, Erling Haaland may be rested again here, allowing World Cup winner Julian Alvarez to keep his place in the starting eleven.

Predicted XI:

Manchester City possible starting lineup:
In what is set to be an enthralling contest, here is how Some Man City Fans and Media expect Pep Guardiola’s side to line-up.

Evening Standard XI : Ortega; Lewis, Stones, Ake, Cancelo; De Bruyne, Phillips, Gundogan; Mahrez, Haaland, Foden.

Manchester World XI: Ortega, Lewis, Stones, Ake, Cancelo; Phillips, Gundogan, De Bruyne; Alvarez, Haaland, Grealish.

City Report XI: Ortega; Lewis, Akanji, Laporte, Ake; Phillips, De Bruyne, Gundogan; Mahrez, Alvarez, Palmer

90mim Football XI: Ortega; Lewis, Stones, Akanji, Gomez; Phillips, Foden, Gundogan; Mahrez, Alvarez, Palmer

City Xtra XI: Ortega; Lewis, Stones, Aké, Cancelo; Phillips, De Bruyne, Gundogan; Alvarez, Haaland, Grealish.

@CityTalk: Ortega; Lewis, Stones, Aké, Cancelo; Phillips, Foden, Gundogan; Mahrez, Grealish, Alvarez

Who do you think will be in the XI against Southampton?

Best Starting XI base on Majority: Ortega; Lewis, Stones, Aké, Cancelo; Kalvin Phillips, De Bruyne, Gundogan; Mahrez, Alvarez, Grealish.