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Pep's double defensive blow: Predicted Man City XI vs. Brighton

Manchester City will be down to the bare bones defensively for Wednesday's Premier League showdown with Brighton & Hove Albion at the Etihad Stadium.

The Sky Blues lost Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol to issues in Sunday's 1-1 draw with Chelsea, and speaking immediately after the game, Pep Guardiola expressed concern that the pair could be out for weeks.

City are already missing Oscar Bobb (thigh), John Stones (unspecified), Mateo Kovacic (ankle), Savinho (unspecified), Rayan Ait-Nouri (AFCON) and Omar Marmoush (AFCON) for the visit of the Seagulls, while there is no guarantee that Nico Gonzalez will be fit either.

Thankfully, Guardiola can draft in two like-for-like replacements for Dias and Gvardiol in the shape of Abdukodir Khusanov and Nathan Ake, who should start as the hosts' central pairing.

The Catalan coach could even make one unenforced change at the back, as Matheus Nunes has played the full 90 in each of Man City's last 15 Premier League games, so Rico Lewis may earn a start in this one.

Doubts over Gonzalez's fitness means that Rodri is the most likely starter in the holding midfield role, behind an almost-untouched attack, but a fit-again Jeremy Doku could step in for Bernardo Silva.

Up top, Erling Haaland has now failed to score in three straight Premier League starts, and another blank on Wednesday would see the Norwegian go four successive top-flight starts without a goal for the first time ever.

Manchester City possible starting lineup:

Donnarumma; Lewis, Khusanov, Ake, O'Reilly; Rodri; Cherki, Foden, Reijnders, Doku; Haaland

> Click here to see how Brighton could line up for this game

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