Champions League: Manchester City possible starting line-up vs Sevilla
Pep Guardiola can afford to make changes to his side who welcome Sevilla to the Etihad already through to the next round.
Manchester City go into tonight’s meeting with Sevilla at the Etihad in the enviable position of fielding a changed side. Regardless of tonight’s result, Guardiola’s team are already through to the next round. Their Spanish opponents have no realistic options of dislodging Borussia Dortmund from second place and appear destined for the Europa League - a tournament they have practically made their own during the past decade.
City top Group G on 11 points - three ahead of Dortmund and six ahead of Sevilla. The group is more or less done and dusted - unless anything extraordinary happens, Guardiola’s team will finish as champions of the group, Dortmund second, Sevilla third and Copenhagen fourth.
That gives Guardiola the benefit of being able to field a changed side, and place priority on Saturday’s Premier League game against Fulham. He will be able to give the players who are in need of a rest a night off. Goalkeeper Ederson has played every minute of the current campaign while defenders João Cancelo and Rubén Días are not too far behind him. Two or three of them could be rested, alongside Kevin De Bruyne.
Erling Haaland will definitely sit the game out. He is still recovering from a foot injury and is expected to return soon but won’t be risked tonight. City have missed the Norwegian’s phenomenal goal scoring feats - he’s already on 22 goals from just 16 games but City have struggled to find the net without him.
Manchester City possible starting line-up
Ortega; Akanji, Laporte, Nathan Ake, Gomez; Silva, Rodri, Gündogan; Mahrez, Alvarez, Grealish.