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Analysis

Man City predicted XI vs Crystal Palace as Pep Guardiola makes three changes including dropping £53m man

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Man City welcome Crystal Palace to the Etihad on Saturday, in another crucial game in the race for a Champions League spot.

Manchester City go into their upcoming Premier League fixture against Crystal Palace with added potence after discovering that five Premier League teams qualify for the Champions League this season.

Still, Pep Guardiola’s side sit in 6th place of the table, albeit only one point behind Newcastle United in 5th and Chelsea in 4th, with Newcastle playing Man United on Sunday whilst Chelsea host Ipswich Town the same day.

Crystal Palace meanwhile come into the game at the Etihad in tremendous form under manager Oliver Glasner whose side have won six of their last seven, beating Brighton with nine men last time out.

John Stones warms up ahead of Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City.
Photo by Crystal Pix/MB Media/Getty Images

Man City team news vs Crystal Palace

Team news is largely as it was for Guardiola and Man City who will remain without defenders John Stones, Manuel Akanji, and Nathan Ake for the Palace game and indeed the next few weeks at least, with Akanji potentially set to return at the end of April.

Rodri also remains sidelined but could potentially feature before the end of the season in late May. Erling Haaland also remains an injury absentee for Man City following his ankle injury sustained against Bournemouth earlier in the month.

Man City predicted XI to face Crystal Palace as Pep makes three changes

One player who’s faced criticism in recent weeks is the £53million man Matheus Nunes. He struggled against Man United and Pep even suggested that the former Wolves man isn’t clever enough to play in midfield, with Danny Murphy then saying Nunes is out of his depth at Man City.

We could see Rico Lewis come back into the XI for Nunes, along with Abdukodir Khusanov potentially returning to the XI and pushing Josko Gvardiol back out to the left, with Nico O’Reilly dropping to the bench.

Expect to see some changes further up the pitch too after a rather dull attacking performance against Man United last time out, with Savinho potentially one who comes back in, and Bernardo Silva one who could make way.

Here’s how we think Man City could line up against Crystal Palace on Saturday afternoon…

Ederson (GK)

Gvardiol

Dias

Khusanov

Lewis

Kovacic

Gundogan

Foden

De Bruyne

Savinho

Marmoush