Early team news: Full line-up confirmed for Real Madrid vs Manchester City (UEFA Champions League Quarter-Final first-leg)

Manchester City resume their pursuit of a retained UEFA Champions League honour this season as the quarter-finals take the club to Madrid in a two-legged affair.

Pep Guardiola and his players secured their place in the 2023 Champions League final with a statement victory over Los Blancos in the semi-final stage of last season’s competition, with a staggering 5-1 aggregate victory.

A Kevin De Bruyne equaliser in the first-leg recorded a 1-1 draw in the Spanish capital, while a demolition job at the Etihad Stadium stunned Real Madrid with Manchester City winning 4-0 in one of the finest performances in the competition’s history.

This season’s knock-out stage has seen City defeat Danish giants FC Copenhagen with successive 3-1 victories over two-legs, while Pep Guardiola and his players travel to the Santiago Bernabeu fresh off the back of a 2-4 win at Crystal Palace.

Manchester City will be without Kyle Walker and Nathan Ake for the contest in the Spanish capital, while Josko Gvardiol remains a doubt for the clash despite having been named in Guardiola’s 21-man travelling squad.

Pep Guardiola and his coaching staff will also have a dilemma over the goalkeeping position, with Ederson returning to fitness but Stefan Ortega Moreno having been largely faultless during his time in goal over the last weeks.

Ahead of the release of official team news from the Santiago Bernabeu, sources on social media have began offering insights into Pep Guardiola’s selection, with first details provided by Tuesday night’s hosts.

As revealed by Real Madrid ahead of Manchester City’s unveiling, Los Blancos will start with the following initial XI: Lunin; Carvajal, Tchouameni, Rudiger, Mendy; Camavinga, Valverde, Kroos; Rodrygo, Bellingham, Vinicius Jr.

The substitutes bench for Carlo Ancelotti consists of the following names: Kepa, Fran, Militao, Nacho, Modric, Joselu, Lucas V., Ceballos, Fran Garcia, Brahim, Guler.

From the Manchester City side of things, reputable team news source FPLMaineRoad on X has revealed that Manuel Akanji, John Stones, Ruben Dias, and Josko Gvardiol all start for Pep Guardiola’s side in defence.

Additional information from the same source has also since revealed details concerning Manchester City’s attacking set-up, with Erling Haaland, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, all starting for Guardiola’s side.

Meanwhile, Kevin De Bruyne dropping to the Manchester City bench is due to the 32-year-old being ‘unwell’ according to reputable journalist Jack Gaughan.

Manchester City Starting XI: Ortega Moreno, Akanji, Stones, Dias (C), Gvardiol, Rodrigo, Kovacic, Bernardo, Foden, Grealish, Haaland.

Substitutes: Ederson, Carson, Doku, De Bruyne, Alvarez, Gomez, Nunes, Bobb, Susoho, Lewis.