Midweek visit to Aston Villa by Manchester City is clouded by concerns regarding Jeremy Doku’s fitness.
Early in the second half of the tie with Tottenham, the Belgian winger was replaced, and as he left the field, he was seen limping. Doku’s injury concerns come at a difficult time for City, who are playing without left-wing rival Jack Grealish before traveling to Villa Park.
The England winger received his fifth yellow card of the Premier League season, and he and Rodri are both suspended for Wednesday night’s match.
Mateo Kovacic is anticipated to start in place of Rodri, as Matheus Nunes battles to recover from a muscular ailment and Pep Guardiola isn’t a fan of Kalvin Phillips. John Stones and Rico Lewis are further choices to bolster City’s midfield or defense. Given that Stones has returned from a recent injury by playing from the substitutes’ bench, it would not be shocking if he was picked in the starting lineup. Nathan Ake is also a contender to start after the reigning champions have allowed 10 goals in their last four games.
Predicted Man City XI: Ederson; Walker, Stones, Ake, Gvardiol; Silva, Kovacic; Foden, Alvarez, Doku; Haaland
Injuries: De Bruyne
Suspended: Rodri, Grealish
Time and date: 8.15pm GMT, Wednesday December 6, 2023
Venue: Villa Park
TV channel: Amazon Prime
