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

Erling Haaland will return to attack after FA Cup semi-final rest but Rodri doubts remain

The 2024 Ballon d’Or winner suffered a calf injury during the 2-1 win over title rivals Arsenal and played no part in the subsequent victory at relegated Burnley or in last weekend’s FA Cup semi-final comeback against Southampton at Wembley.

Pep Guardiola insisted that Rodri was getting better, but insisted he did not want to risk the influential midfielder for fear of losing him for another extended period of time following a difficult couple of years with injury.

It is unclear at this stage if the Spaniard will be involved when City head to the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Monday evening, with Nico O’Reilly having deputised alongside departing captain Bernardo Silva in midfield against Burnley before Nico Gonzalez and Mateo Kovacic joined Tijjani Reijnders in the middle in the cup, with Gonzalez scoring a fantastic late winner.

That may be enough to see him retain his starting berth against Everton if Rodri is not fit, though O’Reilly has played there plenty already this term, allowing Rayan Ait-Nouri to slot in at left-back.

City’s only other known injury concerns at present concern defenders Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol, who have been sidelined with an ankle issue and a leg fracture respectively.

Dias has not played since the 2-1 Champions League last-16 second-leg defeat by Real Madrid on March 17, while Gvardiol sustained his injury against Chelsea on January 4 and subsequently underwent surgery.

Injury doubt: Manchester City midfielder Rodri has been struggling with a calf issue of late

PA

Guardiola said recently that Dias was still not ready to play, while he insisted Gvardiol was making progress but remained “not close” to being involved.

Gianluigi Donnarumma should be back in goal to face Everton after James Trafford took over in the FA Cup as usual, with Matheus Nunes continuing at right-back and the central defensive partnership of Abdukodir Khusanov and Marc Guehi restored in Dias’ ongoing absence.

Ait-Nouri will be at left-back if O’Reilly is again pushed into midfield, or O’Reilly will likely be on the left of defence if Guardiola opts for Gonzalez alongside Silva or if indeed Rodri is fit to start.

Erling Haaland will be back up front in place of Omar Marmoush after coming off the bench at Wembley, while he should be supported by the attacking triumvirate of Antoine Semenyo, Rayan Cherki and Jeremy Doku.

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