Early team news: Three significant absentees for Manchester City against Everton confirmed

Manchester City will be without a trio of notable first-team players for their Premier League clash against Everton on Wednesday night.

Pep Guardiola’s side return to Premier League action this week after their success in Saudi Arabia, claiming the club’s first ever FIFA Club World Cup title with victory over Brazilian giants Fluminense in Jeddah.

A convincing 4-0 victory over the South American side saw Manchester City make it five trophies claimed in a historic 2023 calendar year, with Julian Alvarez, Phil Foden, and a Nino own goal rounding up the scoresheet.

Top-flight form will be of upmost importance to the reigning Premier League champions however, and they will be keen to transform their fine performances in the Middle-East and their back-to-back clean sheets into domestic action.

Kevin De Bruyne’s return to first-team training will come as a major boost to the football club, with the Belgian starring in Saudi Arabia on the training ground pitches and back in Manchester, although the meeting with Everton could come too early for him.

Jeremy Doku and Erling Haaland have made strides towards a return to first-team training, but having not featured in any portion of the FIFA Club World Cup campaign, the meeting with Everton is also likely to come too soon for the attacking pairing.

Ahead of the reveal of the confirmed line-ups from both the Merseyside and Mancunian clubs at Goodison Park this evening, a number of sources have began revealing elements of Manchester City’s starting line-up on social media.

As per X user FPLMaineRoad, both Haaland and Doku will play no part in Manchester City’s meeting with Everton, whilst Ruben Dias is also set to be an omission from the starting line-up, with the reason for his absence unknown at the time of reporting.

As per the same source, Matheus Nunes starts for Manchester City. Phil Foden, Rodri, and Julian Alvarez are also part of the starting line-up, according to ElBobble.

In additional details, as per the Manchester Evening News’ Simon Bajkowski, Jack Grealish starts for Pep Guardiola – presumably in the left-sided attacking role, in the absence of Jeremy Doku.

Manchester City’s defensive line, according to X user C345Sam, is likely to consist of Kyle Walker, Manuel Akanji, John Stones, and Nathan Ake.

The Manchester Evening News have also collated the complete Manchester City matchday squad in attendance at Goodison Park, with the 20-man squad as follows:

Ederson, Ortega; Lewis, Walker, Stones, Akanji, Gvardiol, Ake, Gomez; Rodri, Phillips, Kovacic, Susoho, Nunes, Bernardo; Bobb, Hamilton, Grealish, Alvarez, Foden.

Sean Dyche and Pep Guardiola are expected to confirm their respective Everton and Manchester City starting line-ups from approximately 19:15 (UK) on Wednesday night.

Now confirmed.