A Josko Gvardiol full debut and Jack Grealish to start – Predicted XI: Manchester City vs Sevilla (UEFA Super Cup)

Manchester City bid to win their first trophy of the season on Wednesday night, when Pep Guardiola’s side face Sevilla in the UEFA Super Cup.

Last season’s Champions League winners face Europa League veterans Sevilla in Athens this week, with Manchester City featuring in the Super Cup for the very first time in the club’s history.

Pep Guardiola’s side beat Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Inter Milan en route to their maiden Champions League title last season, as part of a historic treble-winning campaign achieved for the first time since Manchester United’s success in 1999.

Manchester City beat Sevilla twice during the Champions League Group Stage last season, winning 4-0 in Spain and 3-1 at the Etihad Stadium.

This time around however, the Sky Blues will be without the senior trio of Ruben Dias, Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva in Athens, with the three players not part of the 22-man squad due to injury.

De Bruyne suffered a suspected recurrence of the hamstring injury sustained in the Champions League Final, while Ruben Dias sustained a head injury in first-team training prior to the clash with Burnley on Friday night.

Bernardo Silva’s absence is due to the 29-year-old being ‘unwell’, according to journalist Jack Gaughan.

Meanwhile, Wednesday’s match could provide summer signing Josko Gvardiol with his first Manchester City start, with the Croatian defender having featured from the bench at Turf Moor last week.

Ahead of Wednesday’s UEFA Super Cup Final, here is how we predict Manchester City will line-up at the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium.

Predicted XI

Despite emerging as a surprise transfer target for Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich, Wednesday’s Super Cup Final could provide Stefan Ortega with his third European appearance for Manchester City.

Ahead of the German goalkeeper, Manuel Akanji and Aymeric Laporte can be expected to occupy the centre-back positions, with Ruben Dias sidelined and question marks over John Stones’ fitness, after the England international missed the win over Burnley due to injury but returned to full first-team training this week.

Kyle Walker will start at right-back, while one expects to see summer signing Josko Gvardiol make his full Manchester City debut, with the 21-year-old starting at left-back.

Rodri, whose goal booked the Blues’ place in this week’s UEFA Super Cup, will play ahead of the defence, as questions marks remain over Kalvin Phillips’ suitability for the role.

In the absence of duo Bernardo Silva and Kevin De Bruyne, Mateo Kovacic looks set to partner Phil Foden in central midfield.

Fresh from a first-half brace at Turf Moor, Erling Haaland will continue to lead the line for Pep Guardiola’s side.

Either side of the Norwegian striker, one expects to see Julian Alvarez move into a wide role and Jack Grealish afforded his first start of the season.

Predicted XI: Ortega; Walker, Akanji, Laporte, Gvardiol; Rodri, Kovacic, Foden; Grealish, Alvarez, Haaland.

Substitutes: Ederson, Carson, Lewis, Stones, Ake, Gomez, Phillips, Perrone, McAtee, Palmer, Bobb.

Follow City Xtra on Threads here: threads.net/@city_xtra