Superstar duo return, Rico Lewis to start again — Predicted XI: Crystal Palace vs Manchester City (Premier League)

Manchester City are back in action in the early kick-off slot on Saturday afternoon as they travel to Selhurst Park for a showdown with Crystal Palace.

Pep Guardiola’s side come into the match in fine form, having emphatically dispatched fourth place Aston Villa at the Etihad on Wednesday evening to keep the pressure on Premier League title rivals Liverpool and Arsenal.

Heading into the trip to south London, City are three points off of the top with eight games remaining, and will be hoping for both Arsenal and Liverpool to trip up somewhere in the coming weeks.

After Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland were dropped from the starting 11 against Aston Villa during the week, questions were raised surrounding Pep Guardiola’s preferred line-up down the stretch this season.

Let’s take a look at how Manchester City could set-up against a struggling Crystal Palace outfit on Saturday.

Predicted XI

Reports this week have suggested that Ederson could be returning in goal after recovering from an injury suffered against Liverpool, so we’ll give him the nod for Saturday.

Rico Lewis will hold onto his starting spot at right-back due to mounting injuries at the back.

Those injuries leave us with essentially one centre-back pairing option at Selhurst Park: Manuel Akanji and Ruben Dias.

Josko Gvardiol will then be pushed out wide on the left once again, a role he has excelled in since returning from the international break.

Rodri remains in his holding midfield role as ever, while Mateo Kovacic should return to play alongside him in a double pivot.

Things will start to get shaken up from the Aston Villa game as we head into the attack, but we expect Jack Grealish and Phil Foden to start on the wings, despite Jeremy Doku’s impressive midweek performance.

That means Kevin De Bruyne should return to his role in behind the striker, leaving Bernardo Silva as the odd man out to get some much-needed rest.

Erling Haaland has been cold as of late, but strikes must be played back into form. There is no better place for the Norwegian to find his shooting boots once again that at Selhurst Park on Saturday.

Starting XI: Ederson, Lewis, Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol, Rodri, Kovacic, Grealish, Foden, De Bruyne, Haaland.

Substitutes: Ortega Moreno, Carson, Stones, Gomez, Nunes, Silva, Doku, Bobb, Alvarez.