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Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has been desperate for his squad to be granted some rest and recovery so a 2025 schedule that has included just one game since December 29 is welcome.
City have battled through substantial injuries this season with several key players missing large swathes of the campaign. And while Guardiola will not be under-estimating League Two high flyers Salford City tonight, the FA Cup third round tie against fourth tier opposition offers a rotation chance that City can’t really afford to ignore ahead of five games in 16 days that include two crucial Champions League ties.
Ederson is now fit again having last featured in the Manchester derby and he could return in goal while the defence can afford those who have played too often such as Rico Lewis and Josko Gvardiol, and those who would benefit from a breather, such as Nathan Ake, a rest.
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Kyle Walker and Manuel Akanji can offer the experience with John Stones and Ruben Dias sidelined while Josh Wilson-Esbrand and Jahmai Simpson-Pusey can come in for starts.
In midfield, this seems like the perfect game to start Nico O’Reilly and James Mcatee with Ilkay Gundogan providing the guiding hand to the younger pair. Jack Grealish and Jeremy Doku have work to do to to get back into the first choice XI and that can start this evening. Erling Haaland has played almost every week and this seems an obvious opportunity to give him a rest despite the dearth of natural understudies. Phil Foden can fill in as a false nine.
City predicted XI vs Salford: Ederson, Walker, Simpson-Pusey, Akanji, Wilson-Esbrand; O’Reilly, Gundogan, McAtee; Grealish, Doku, Foden