Man City XI vs Manchester United: Donnarumma debut, starting lineup, confirmed team news and injury latest | OneFootball

Pep Guardiola has made a big selection call for the Manchester derby at the Etihad

Pep Guardiola has handed a start to Gianluigi Donnarumma over James Trafford in goal against Manchester United at the Etihad.

Manchester City paid £26million to sign Donnarumma on deadline day and he will go straight into the starting XI for the Manchester derby.

Guardiola has talked up Donnarumma’s big-game experience.

“Gigi’s a 26-year-old with incredible experience,” said Guardiola.

Gianluigi Donnarumma makes his Manchester City debut

AFP via Getty Images

“He’s so tall and so huge. All the keepers want to save balls and give confidence to the team and personality and he’s a big presence on the bigger stages.

“In many games he proved how good he is. He will concede goals that’s for sure, but we’re all going to try to help him.”

Omar Marmoush will play no part against Manchester United after sustaining a knee injury whilst on international duty with Egypt.

Marmoush is one of four absentees alongside Rayan Ait-Nouri, Ryan Cherki and Mateo Kovacic.

John Stones misses out after withdrawing from the England squad for their World Cup qualification double-header against Andorra and Serbia, but the good news is that Phil Foden, Josko Gvardiol, Savinho and Abdukodir Khusanov are all fit.

In the case of Gvardiol, he makes his first appearance of the season and partners Ruben Dias at the heart of City’s defence.

Elsewhere, Khusanov has shaken off the knock that forced him off in the closing stages at Brighton and Foden will hope to finally kick-start his campaign.

Fresh from scoring six goals across two games for Norway, Erling Haaland leads the line as he bids to maintain his early lead in the Golden Boot race.

Man City XI: Donnarumma, Khusanov, Dias, Gvardiol, O'Reilly, Rodri, Bernardo (C), Reijnders, Foden, Doku, Haaland