Manchester City XI vs Crystal Palace – Predicted lineup and team news

In partnership with

The Football Faithful

·28 August 2026

Manchester City XI vs Crystal Palace – Predicted lineup and team news

Manchester City travel to Selhurst Park on Friday looking to build on a hard-fought opening-weekend win, Enzo Maresca’s side having come from behind to beat Bournemouth in his first Premier League match in charge.

The trip also returns Marc Guehi to the club he left for City in January, seven months on from that move.

OneFootball Videos

Manchester City team news

Jeremy Doku remains out with a calf injury, and Matheus Nunes is not yet considered fully fit as he continues his recovery. Elliot Anderson, withdrawn against Bournemouth, has been confirmed fit by Maresca, who attributed the substitution to cramp rather than injury.

New signing Ayyoub Bouaddi, a £86 million arrival from Lille, completed this week, has been declared fit and available. “He is ready; he was working with his former club, so he is fit,” Maresca said. “We will see how long it is in terms of adaptation, but for sure, he is ready to go.”

Maresca is expected to persist with Guehi in a midfield role after his impact from that position against Bournemouth, where he also scored the equaliser. “We will see. It is an option,” the head coach said when asked whether the arrangement would continue.

Rico Lewis could keep his place at right-back despite criticism of City’s defensive display last weekend, though Abdukodir Khusanov remains an alternative option out wide. Phil Foden, Nico O’Reilly and Antoine Semenyo are set to support Erling Haaland in attack, with Bouaddi more likely to be introduced from the bench given his age and the club’s stated intention to manage his workload carefully.