Man City XI vs Crystal Palace: Predicted lineup, confirmed team news, injury latest for FA Cup final today

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Evening Standard

·17 Mei 2025

Man City XI vs Crystal Palace: Predicted lineup, confirmed team news, injury latest for FA Cup final today

Rodri doing “much, much better” but unlikely to return for Wembley showpiece

Manchester City have no new injury concerns as they take on Crystal Palace in today’s FA Cup final at Wembley.

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Pep Guardiola’s side are seeking their first and only piece of major silverware of a difficult campaign having surrendered the Premier League title to Liverpool.

The Community Shield victory on penalties over rivals Manchester United back in August was their only taste of success this term, having been knocked out of both the Carabao Cup and Champions League prematurely.

Domestically, the campaign has certainly not gone to plan for Guardiola, who lost his star midfielder and Ballon d’Or winner Rodri for the majority of the season after the Spaniard sustained an anterior cruciate ligament tear in the dramatic 2-2 draw against Arsenal last year.

City are currently deep in the midst of the race for a top-five finish, and they are well-placed to qualify for the Champions League, sitting fourth in the table.

They hit a slight bump in the road by drawing 0-0 at relegated Southampton last week, with defender Ruben Dias blasting the home side’s lack of ambition when it came to style of play.

To book their return to Wembley, Guardiola’s side swept Nottingham Forest aside 2-0 to set up a meeting with Palace, who themselves impressively dispatched Aston Villa 3-0.

Comeback close: Manchester City have been without influential Ballon d’Or winner Rodri since September

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In terms of injuries, City have had four major absentees of late. John Stones, Oscar Bobb and Nathan Ake are all still out, while it seems unlikely that Rodri will play any part at Wembley, though he is showing plenty of improvement and travelled down to Wembley with the rest of the squad, as did Stones.

The Spaniard has been back training in recent weeks, and Guardiola is waiting to receive the all-clear on his fitness from medical staff.

“He is much, much better,” Guardiola said of Rodri on Friday.