Confirmed Line-Ups: Manchester City vs Liverpool (Carabao Cup)

Manchester City and Liverpool will clash in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup tonight, in what will be the first competitive fixture since the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

For both sides, that means players have made staggered returns to their respective clubs following duties for their international teams, with Manchester City having had the most representation at the tournament.

With 16 players from Pep Guardiola’s first-team squad having made appearances at the FIFA World Cup, the Manchester City boss has seen his options in terms of match-fit personnel reduced for Thursday night’s clash at the Etihad Stadium.

Stefan Ortega, Sergio Gomez, Riyad Mahrez, and Erling Haaland were the only senior first-team players to not be at the World Cup, and so have been training with Manchester City in both Abu Dhabi and back at the club’s training base.

Kevin De Bruyne was the first of the World Cup players to return, following swiftly by the likes of Ilkay Gundogan, Manuel Akanji, and Nathan Ake.

While Wednesday saw the return of a large part of Manchester City’s squad, with the club’s Portuguese and English contingent training at the City Football Academy for the first time since the break, those players may require more time to get back up to speed under their Catalan coach.

Ahead of kick-off against Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium tonight, both Manchester City and Liverpool have confirmed their respective starting eleven’s.

Manchester City

Starting XI: Ortega Moreno; Lewis, Akanji, Laporte, Ake; Rodrigo, De Bruyne, Gundogan; Mahrez, Haaland, Palmer.

Substitutes: Carson, Walker, Stones, Cancelo, Grealish, Gomez, Bernardo, Foden, Robertson.

Liverpool

Starting XI: Kelleher; Milner, Gomez, Matip, Robertson; Bajcetic, Thiago, Elliott; Carvalho, Salah, Nunez.

Substitutes: Adrian, Fabinho, Keita, Henderson, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Tsimikas, Ramsay, Phillips, Doak.

What do you make of the confirmed starting line-ups for both teams? Leave a comment below!