Man City XI vs Sunderland: Confirmed team news, predicted lineup and injury latest for Premier League

In partnership with

Evening Standard

·4 de diciembre de 2025

Man City XI vs Sunderland: Confirmed team news, predicted lineup and injury latest for Premier League

Will star midfielder make his long-awaited return?

The Spaniard has been struggling with a hamstring injury throughout the campaign, and keeps having his comeback pushed further and further back.

OneFootball Videos

The 2024 Ballon d’Or winner has seen first-team minutes hard to come by in the last year, having suffered an ACL injury against Arsenal last season, which ruled him out for the remainder of the term.

He made his return over the summer at the Club World Cup, but a hamstring niggle has continued to trouble him.

Otherwise for City, Pep Guardiola has a full complement to pick from against the Black Cats, minus long-term absentee Mateo Kovacic, who has had ankle surgery.

A 5-4 win at Fulham highlighted City’s defensive frailties, and although it seems that Guardiola has settled on his preferred back four, he may be tempted to make some tweaks as a result.

Gianluigi Donnarumma will start in goal, but question marks remain over whether Josko Gvardiol and Ruben Dias will partner each other once more.

John Stones and Nathan Ake are the most likely replacements, with the City boss preferring natural central defender Abdukodir Khusanov as a right-back.

At full-back, Matheus Nunes has been solid on the right, and Nico O’Reilly has seemingly made the left-sided berth his own ahead of summer signing Rayan Ait-Nouri.

In the engine room, expect Nico to deputise for Rodri again, flanked by Bernardo Silva and Tijjani Reijnders, who netted at Craven Cottage.

Phil Foden seems back to his best off the right flank, and Jeremy Doku also found the net in west London.

Record-breaker Erling Haaland, who hit his 100th goal at the weekend, leads the line.

Predicted Man City XI (4-3-3): Donnarumma; Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly; Silva, Nico, Reijnders; Foden, Haaland, Doku

Injured: Rodri, Kovacic

Date and kick-off time: 3pm GMT on Saturday, December 6 2026