Manchester City will fine-tune their preparations for the new Premier League season with a trip to face Palermo on Saturday.
The Serie B club, who are majority owned by the City Football Group, fell short in their playoff bid to reach Italian football’s top flight last season.
They are now under new management, with former Italy and Juventus striker Filippo Inzaghi installed as head coach.
Inzaghi’s brother Simone derailed City’s intended summer schedule when Al Hilal claimed a shock 4-3 extra-time win over the Premier League club in the last 16 of the FIFA Club World Cup. This friendly — scheduled seven days before City’s league opener at at Wolves — was hastily arranged as a consequence.
MORE: Manchester City prepare new lucrative contract offer for Rodri
Palermo vs. Man City predicted lineups, starting 11, team news
Palermo have won four out of four in preseason and begin competitive action against Cremonese in the Coppa Italia next weekend.
Defender Giangiacomo Magnani missed training this week due to a personal matter and will be assessed. USMNT left-back Kristoffer Lund will not be involved after joining Cologne on a season-long loan.
Former City youngster Claudio Gomes remains part of the Palermo squad after making the move to Sicily in 2022.
Palermo predicted lineup (3-5-2, right to left): Gomis (GK) — Peda, Ceccaroni, Augello — Pierozzi, Segre, Ranocchia, Vasic, Gyasi — Brunori, Pohjanpalo
Injured: Magnani (doubt)
Rodri hasn’t been playing a full part in training with his Manchester City teammates since suffering a groin injury at the Club World Cup. The Ballon d’Or winner is still building fitness following ACL surgery last year, and remains at home alongside Phil Foden, Josko Gvardiol and Claudio Echeverri, all of whom are nursing minor knocks
Fellow midfielder Mateo Kovacic remains on the mend from Achilles surgery. Kalvin Phillips is in the same boat but has no discernible future at City in any case. Jack Grealish and James McAtee have been earmarked for moves away and have not travelled. The same applies to Stefan Ortega, now City’s third-choice goalkeeper since James Trafford‘s return to east Manchester.
The same applies to teenage defender Vitor Reis, whose loan move to another CFG club, Girona, was finalised on Friday.
Man City predicted lineup (4-2-3-1, right to left): Ederson (GK) — Nunes, Dias, Akanji, Ait-Nouri — Reijnders, Nico — Savinho, Marmoush, Doku — Haaland
Injured: Rodri (groin), Echeverri (ankle), Foden (undisc.), Gvardiol (undisc.) Phillips (Achilles), Kovacic (Achilles), Bettinelli (undisc.)
Palermo vs. Man City live stream, TV channel
Here’s how to watch this preseason friendly match across selected areas of the world’s major regions:
| Region | TV | Streaming |
| USA | — | CITY+ |
| Canada | — | CITY+ |
| UK | — | CITY+ |
| Australia | — | CITY+ |
| India | — | CITY+ |
