Man City XI vs Brentford: Predicted lineup, confirmed team news, injury latest for Premier League

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Evening Standard

·9 mai 2026

Man City XI vs Brentford: Predicted lineup, confirmed team news, injury latest for Premier League

City cannot afford to drop any more points

Manchester City are likely to again be without Rodri as the Premier League title run-in continues today.

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City dropped points against Everton earlier this week and handed Arsenal a huge advantage at the top of the table, with the Gunners now five points clear of Pep Guardiola’s side.

2024 Ballon d’Or winner Rodri has been out since the 2-1 win over the north Londoners having suffered a groin injury.

Guardiola said ahead of the trip to the Hill Dickinson Stadium that the Spaniard had not yet trained with his team-mates, and he issued an udpate on the midfielder on Friday before his side’s home clash against Europe-chasing Brentford.

"Still he doesn't feel completely comfortable, and when he will be ready and fit and comes back,” Guardiola said.

“We'll see this afternoon, hopefully for tomorrow - he will come back."

Also on the treatment table are Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol, who were Guardiola’s first-choice centre-back pairing at the start of the campaign.

The pair, according to Guardiola, are now back in training in a huge double boost for their title ambitions.

"He's good, he's training, he feels good - it's been many months [out],” Guardiola said of Gvardiol.

“Last season he was one of the [most] important player for us with many injuries, he played all the games. And at the end the body says in one moment, 'enough is enough!'

"But I'm happy he's back, hopefully he can help us in the last part of the season and make a good World Cup with Croatia and next season, we can have him again at his best!

"He's an important player; central defender, full-back, can play different roles, so fast, so quick - really good to have him back, like Dias as well."

Gianluigi Donnarumma will be in goal, shielded by a back four of Matheus Nunes, Abdukodir Khusanov, Marc Guehi and Nico O’Reilly.

In midfield, it is likely to be Bernardo Silva and Nico Gonzalez, although Guardiola could rotate and plump for either Tijjani Reijnders in that position or shift O’Reilly into midfield and play Rayan Ait-Nouri on the left side of defence.

In the attacking trident, he will keep things as is, with Antoine Semenyo on the right, Jeremy Doku on the left, and Rayan Cherki sandwiched between them.

Erling Haaland, of course, will lead the line.

Predicted Man City XI (4-2-3-1): Donnarumma; Nunes, Khusanov, Guehi, O’Reilly; Nico, Silva; Semenyo, Cherki, Doku; Haaland