Manchester City host Salford City in an FA Cup third-round tie that Pep Guardiola’s side dare not lose. Should the unthinkable happen, they might never live it down.
Near neighbours Salford are riding high in League Two, occupying the third automatic promotion place, but a team from English football’s fourth tier should have no business causing the club that have won six out of the past seven Premier League titles any trouble.
But the FA Cup loves a narrative hook, and Salford’s status as the pet project of co-owner Gary Neville and other members of Manchester United’s feted “Class of ’92” unquestionably provides that.
It couldn’t happen, could it?
The Sporting News looks at the latest team news and predicted lineups.
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Man City vs. Salford City lineups, predicted starting 11, team news
Pep Guardiola has a reputation for selecting lineups that feel almost unnecessarily strong against lower-league opposition in domestic cups. However, City’s injury crisis this season, and — more pertinently for this match — the ailing fitness of those players who have been asked to go above and beyond to compensate for it, means wholesale changes might be on the agenda.
Ederson is back in training after a short lay-off and might start behind an inexperienced defence featuring academy graduates Jahmai Simpson-Pusey and Kaden Braithwaite. James McAtee should get a long-awaited chance to show what he can do from the start, possibly as a false nine with Erling Haaland set to be rested.
Jack Grealish is likely to return to the starting XI alongside Matheus Nunes after Guardiola challenged the England international to rediscover his best form.
Oscar Bobb returned to first-team training following his broken leg this week, although it remains to be seen whether he is ready for competitive action at this stage.
Man City predicted lineup (4-3-3, right to left): Ederson (GK) — Walker, Simpson-Pusey, Braithwaite, Wilson-Esbrand — O’Reilly, Gundogan, Nunes — Doku, McAtee, Grealish
Injured: Rodri (ACL), Bobb (leg, doubt), Dias (muscular), Stones (foot), Ederson (knock, doubt)
Suspended: None
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Salford boss Karl Robinson is committed to maintaining his team’s expansive style of play against City and confidence is soaring on the back of six games unbeaten. A 2-0 win over Cheltenham Town, who went 1-0 up before losing 3-1 to City in this competition four years ago, secured Salford’s place in round three for the first time.
Robinson has plenty of options at his disposal after making six changes for the 1-0 win over his former club MK Dons last time out. Striker Hakeeb Adelakun was one of the players called in and netted the only goal.
Kelly Nmai, Dan Chesters, Josh Austerfield and Frankie Okoronkwo are all long-term absentees and former Liverpool youngster Ben Woodburn could miss out once more.
Salford City predicted lineup (3-1-4-2, right to left): Jones (GK) —Shephard, Tilt, Garbutt — Ashley — Mnoga, Watson, Fornah, Berkoe — Adelakun, Stockton
Injured: Nmai, Chesters, Austerfield, Okoronkwo, Woodburn (doubt)
Suspended:
Man City vs. Salford City live stream, TV channel
Here’s how to watch this FA Cup third-round match across selected areas of the world’s major regions:
| Region | TV | Streaming |
| USA | — | ESPN+, ESPN App |
| Canada | Sportsnet One | Sportsnet Now |
| UK | BBC One | BBC Sport website, BBC iPlayer |
| Australia | — | Optus Sport |
| India | — | — |
