Man City XI vs Real Madrid: Confirmed team news, predicted lineup and injury latest for Champions League | OneFootball

Erling Haaland training ahead of huge last-16 first-leg clash at the Bernabeu

Erling Haaland is set to return for Manchester City in the first instalment of their latest blockbuster Champions League showdown with Real Madrid.

The Norwegian striker was omitted entirely from Saturday night’s squad who beat Newcastle 3-1 at St James’ Park to seal an FA Cup quarter-final place, but Pep Guardiola insisted that such an absence was pre-planned.

The City boss said he preferred Haaland to focus on getting solid training sessions under his belt rather than just making what would only have been a late cameo on Tyneside, having returned a week previously to play 90 minutes against Nottingham Forest after missing the win at Leeds with a minor unspecified injury.

Haaland recently took to social media to show a cut to his shin suffered in a tackle from Mateo Kovacic during training, but was present during an open session that took place in front of the media on Tuesday, before City’s flight to Madrid.

Haaland took full part in Manchester City training ahead of their flight to Madrid

AFP via Getty Images

He will be expected to start at the Bernabeu on Wednesday, likely in place of Omar Marmoush as Guardiola ponders his attacking setup against the LaLiga giants.

City rotated at Newcastle, but you would expect the first-choice centre-back pairing of Ruben Dias and Marc Guehi to be quickly restored, with the latter - along with fellow January signing Antoine Semenyo - now eligible to play in the Champions League after missing the end of the league phase.

John Stones and Abdukodir Khusanov were the chosen defensive pairing at the weekend.

Rayan Ait-Nouri should return at left-back in place of Nathan Ake, as Matheus Nunes keeps his place on the right, while the same goes for the likes of Rodri and Bernardo Silva in midfield, where Nico Gonzalez partnered Nico O’Reilly on Saturday.

It could be all change in attack as Rayan Cherki, Semenyo and Phil Foden all push to return, with Marmoush having been supported by Tijjani Reijnders, Savinho and Jeremy Doku at Newcastle.

Gianluigi Donnarumma will return in goal after deputy James Trafford started in the FA Cup once more.

Kovacic is now back training for City but will be some way short of fitness after a long-term ankle injury that has kept him sidelined since October, while Josko Gvardiol remains out as he continues to recover from a leg fracture.

Predicted Man City XI: Donnarumma, Nunes, Dias, Guehi, Ait-Nouri, Rodri, O’Reilly, Silva, Cherki, Semenyo, Haaland

Injured: Gvardiol, Kovacic

Time and date: 8pm GMT on Wednesday March 11, 2026

How to watch: TNT Sports