"Our football tonight will be tough to watch" - Manchester City fans react as Pep Guardiola names heavily rotated XI for UCL fixture
Manchester City fans are fearing the worst after Pep Guardiola named a heavily rotated starting XI to face Red Star Belgrade in the UEFA Champions League later today (December 13).
The Cityzens have been flawless so far in the Champions League as they look to retain their title, having won the treble last season. They have won all five of their games and are at the top of Group G, while Red Star Belgrade are at the bottom with just one point.
Having secured a spot in the Round of 16 as group winners, Guardiola has made nine changes to the starting XI, to give fringe players a chance to impress.
Stefan Ortego Moreno starts in goal for Manchester City. Rico Lewis, John Stones, Manuel Akanji, and Sergio Gomez make up the defense. The midfield consists of Kalvin Phillips, Mateo Kovacic, and Matheus Nunes. Oscar Bobb, Jack Grealish, and Micah Hamilton start up front to complete the starting XI.
A section of Manchester City fans aren't thrilled at their weak starting XI, with one fan posting:
"That is a horrid team and our football tonight will be tough to watch haha. (Not surprising by any means and totally justified)."
"We'll see how he feels" - Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola provides injury update on Erling Haaland
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola recently provided an injury update on Erling Haaland, admitting he isn't sure if the Norweigan will be available for selection this weekend. The Cityzens are set to face off against Crystal Palace in the Premier League at the Etihad on Saturday, December 16.
The 23-year-old missed City's 2-1 win against Luton Town over the weekend due to a foot injury. He didn't recover in time to feature in team training for their UCL fixture against Red Star Belgrade.
Guardiola has confirmed Haaland will return to team training this Thursday. When asked if the Manchester City superstar has trained since injury, the Spaniard responded (via METRO):
"No. He’ll be back I think Thursday. We’ll see how he feels."
When asked if Haaland could feature against Crystal Palace, Guardiola added:
"I don’t know right now. Next press conference I could be more precise about his conditions."
Haaland has been in stellar form this season and is already the Premier League's top scorer with 14 goals in 15 games. In total, he has netted 19 goals and provided five assists in 22 appearances.