PREMIER LEAGUE | MANCHESTER CITY
Guardiola turns to Carson with Ederson and Steffen out
Ederson is among the Brazilian players affected by FIFA protocols and Zak Steffen is out, meaning a second City start for veteran Scott Carson.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has a problem between the sticks for the Premier League game away at Leicester City this weekend. Both Ederson and Zak Steffen are unavailable for the visit of the FA Cup holders, the Brazilian stopper as a result of a FIFA rule preventing players who were not released for international duty from playing and the US international due to a positive covid-19 test while away with Gregg Berhalter's side. Brazil invoked the FIFA regulation against five Premier League clubs - City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester United and Leeds United - who refused to release their Brazilian players due to quarantine restrictions in place between Brazil and the UK. Under the rule, players who did not answer a national call-up are not allowed to represent their clubs for five days after the international break ends. The clubs in question have appealed against the ban.
As such, Scott Carson is set to make just his second Premier League appearance in a decade. The former England keeper signed for City on a permanent basis during the summer after two seasons on loan from Derby County and featured just once last season in a 4-3 victory away at Newcastle after City had been mathematically confirmed as champions. Prior to that game, Carson last featured in the Premier League in 2010-11 for West Brom.
Leicester not ideal opposition for depleted City
The visit of Leicester is hardly well-timed from Guardiola's point of view: the Foxes beat his side in the Community Shield season opener and handed out a 5-2 Premier League drubbing at the Etihad a year ago. City are currently seventh in the league with a record of two wins and a defeat.
The Premier League champions have three keepers currently out on loan - Gavin Bazunu (Portsmouth), Aro Muric (Adana Demirspor) and James Trafford (Accrington Stanley) - and will be wrapping Carson in cotton wool in case he is required. Behind the 36-year-old all Guardiola has in reserve are youth teamers Cieran Slicker (18) and Mikki van Sas (17).