How will Man City line-up be against Bournemouth?

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Manchester City were held to a 1-1 draw away at Nottingham Forest last weekend as they got knocked off top spot. Pep Guardiola’s unpredictability in team line-up selection has been a consistent throughout his tenure at the Etihad and, with games coming thick and fast across all competitions, that is likely to be a theme that continues.

Pep Guardiola has favoured a 3-2-4-1 system in recent months without out and out full-backs, especially in possession. Rico Lewis was a key part of that line-up until the last few weeks when he has dropped out of the team. Nathan Ake has been fundamental at left centre-back and Ruben Dias has also impressed since coming back into the middle of the three so they seem locks for the eleven.

The lack of Aymeric Laporte and John Stones, due to injury, means it seems likely that Kyle Walker will continue at right centre-back, especially with Manuel Akanji more likely to feature against Bristol City in the FA Cup in midweek.

However, there is a good chance that Guardiola returns to a simpler 4-3-3 system and, in that instance, Ake will play left-back with Akanji and Dias forming a central defensive partnership.

Kevin De Bruyne is a doubt for the match and given their hectic schedule coming up, it could be a risk to start the Belgian for this one. Ilkay Gundogan has been in excellent form and he, alongside Rodri and Bernardo Silva, regardless of system and formation, appear nailed on starters for the match.

As well as those three players, Jack Grealish and Riyad Mahrez are both performing at a high level so they are likely to start alongside Erling Braut Haaland in attack. The likes of Phil Foden, who started at Nottingham Forest last weekend, and Julian Alvarez will be fighting for a spot in the potential absence of De Bruyne.

PREDICTED XI (4-3-3): Ederson; Walker, Dias, Akanji, Ake; De Bruyne, Rodri, Bernardo; Mahrez, Haaland, Grealish

UNAVAILABLE:

QUESTIONABLE: Stones (Injured), Laporte (Illness), De Bruyne (Illness)