Predicted Man City lineup against Liverpool as Guardiola faces limited choices due to Kevin De Bruyne injury worry

Manchester City face Liverpool in the Premier League on Sunday, with the Blues desperately needing a positive result to prevent their season from slipping further.

City has suffered three consecutive league defeats and five losses in six matches across all competitions. The only bright spot came on Tuesday against Feyenoord in the Champions League, though even that result was disappointing, as City squandered a three-goal lead in the last 15 minutes to draw 3-3.

Liverpool, on the other hand, triumphed over Real Madrid the following night and have lost just once this season in all competitions, sitting top of both the Premier League and Europe. This success has raised the stakes for Sunday’s match, with Arne Slot’s team able to extend their lead over City to 11 points with a win.

Pep Guardiola still faces injury concerns, with Rodri, Mateo Kovacic, and Oscar Bobb long-term absentees. Kevin De Bruyne has been coming off the bench in recent matches but is not yet fully fit, having just recovered from an injury in the past week. Guardiola pointed out before the midweek draw that De Bruyne had only trained properly for one day, making it risky to start him against Liverpool.

Ruben Dias was available against Feyenoord but did not play, and John Stones was absent entirely. As a result, Guardiola will likely rely on the same core group of players for the Anfield trip, limiting the potential for changes. Kyle Walker may return to the defense, but Josko Gvardiol, Manuel Akanji, and Nathan Ake are expected to start, given the team’s injury issues elsewhere.

Ederson will be in goal, while Ilkay Gundogan seems poised to start in midfield for his intelligence and ability to operate in a defensive midfield role. Rico Lewis might be pushed further forward to provide additional support, as Guardiola has done in previous matches this season. This would leave Mathues Nunes, who started in midweek, without a place in the starting lineup. Nunes has made only occasional appearances in the Premier League, with most of his outings coming on the left.

With De Bruyne still not fully match fit, Phil Foden may continue in a creative role. Bernardo Silva’s experience and versatility make him a reliable option, while Jack Grealish is likely to complete the attacking trio behind Erling Haaland. Savinho remains inconsistent, and Jeremy Doku is only recently back in training after injury.