Squawka
·1 November 2024
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·1 November 2024
Manchester City must pick themselves up following their exit from the EFL Cup on Wednesday night when they travel to the Vitality Stadium to take on Bournemouth on Saturday.
Bournemouth (4-2-3-1): Kepa; Araujo, Zabarnyi, Senesi, Kerkez; Christie, Cook; Semenyo, Kluivert, Tavernier; Evanilson
Manchester City (4-1-4-1): Ederson; Lewis, Stones, Dias, Gvardiol; Kovacic; Silva, Foden, Gundogan, Nunes; Haaland
The Premier League champions have already scaled the top-flight summit but a mounting injury list is causing City boss Pep Guardiola particular cause for concern ahead of their trip to the south coast.
Bournemouth, meanwhile, will be content with their start to the season and should be in a confident mood after beating Arsenal in their last home outing before last weekend’s draw at fourth-placed Aston Villa.
Champions’ reserve strength set to be put to the test
A quick glance at the fledgling Premier League standings would suggest that things are going swimmingly for reigning champions Man City as they target an unprecedented fifth top-flight title in a row.
Seven wins and two draws from their first nine games has the Citizens perched happily in first place and looking down on the remainder of the division.
But it’s perhaps not as rosy a picture for the champions as the table suggests.
Defensive cog Manuel Akanji pulled out of Wednesday’s EFL Cup defeat at Tottenham Hotspur in the warm-up while Savinho and Ruben Dias both came off during the 2-1 defeat.
They have joined a number of other first-choice players on the sidelines ahead of what could be a tricky November for the champions. Man City face league trips to Bournemouth and Brighton and a home date with cup conquerors Tottenham before the month is out.
Man City’s title rivals Arsenal know only too well how testing a visit to the Vitality Stadium can be, having lost 2-0 to Bournemouth a fortnight ago.
That is one of three wins for the Cherries this season, of which two have been registered at their base on the south coast.
Bournemouth hope to be able to welcome back Phil Billing, Luis Sinisterra and goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga on Saturday afternoon.
USA international midfielder Tyler Adams made his first appearance of the season from the bench in last weekend’s 1-1 draw at Aston Villa and should retain his place in Andoni Iraola’s squad.
But Alex Scott remains unavailable after undergoing surgery on a meniscus injury at the end of October.
Pep Guardiola said that Man City had only “13 players” available following Wednesday’s EFL Cup defeat at Tottenham.
Savinho was stretchered off in the second half of that 2-1 defeat in the capital while Manuel Akanji pulled out in the warm-up.
They are both major doubts to play against Bournemouth on Saturday, although Ruben Dias, withdrawn at half-time in midweek, could feature.
City are again set to be without Rodri, Kevin De Bruyne, Kyle Walker, Oscar Bobb, Jack Grealish and Jeremy Doku.