Man City Starting XI vs West Ham: Confirmed Team News and Predicted Lineup | OneFootball

Manchester City’s Injury Woes as West Ham Clash Looms

Manchester City are dealing with several key absentees ahead of their clash with West Ham this afternoon, a fixture that is expected to test the depth of Pep Guardiola’s squad. The defending champions are navigating through a challenging period as they look to continue their push at the top of the Premier League.

Injury Woes Mount for Guardiola

Pep Guardiola’s side have recently been hit by several injuries, including the absence of in-form left-winger Jeremy Doku and centre-back John Stones. To compound matters, Rodri and Mateo Kovacic remain sidelined, further thinning the squad. Adding to these concerns, young talent Oscar Bobb will also miss a significant portion of the season after suffering a hamstring injury in midweek against Brentford in the Carabao Cup.

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Additionally, the Africa Cup of Nations has claimed Rayan Ait-Nouri and Omar Marmoush, who have both left to represent Algeria and Egypt, respectively. Guardiola confirmed that none of the injured players would be fit for this weekend’s fixture, leaving him with a considerably depleted squad.

Key Players Set to Return

Despite the injury crisis, City are expected to field a competitive lineup for the trip to West Ham. Gianluigi Donnarumma is set to return in goal after James Trafford was handed a rare start in midweek. In defence, Josko Gvardiol and Ruben Dias will likely continue as the central pairing, with Matheus Nunes set to fill in at right-back. Nico O’Reilly, who has impressed at left-back, is expected to start, having been rested in the previous match against Brentford.

Midfield and Attack Adjustments

In the midfield, Bernardo Silva and Nico Gonzalez are likely to be joined by either Tijjani Reijnders or Rayan Cherki, both of whom have been in good form recently. Cherki, in particular, stood out in midweek, although Guardiola was candid in his assessment, stating that the Frenchman was a player that “sometimes you love, sometimes you hate.”

Phil Foden is expected to feature after a brief cameo off the bench against Brentford, where he replaced the injured Bobb. With Doku unavailable, Foden’s return to the starting XI seems almost certain. Similarly, Savinho, who made an immediate impact with a goal in his first start, will likely retain his place in the team. Erling Haaland, who was given a rest in midweek, is set to lead the attack.

Predicted Manchester City XI (4-2-3-1):

Donnarumma; Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly; Silva, Nico; Cherki, Foden, Savinho; Haaland

Injuries: Rodri, Doku, Kovacic, Bobb, StonesInternational duty: Marmoush, Ait-NouriKick-off time: 3pm GMT, Saturday, December 20, 2025