Manchester City return to Wembley Stadium this evening when they take on Southampton in the FA Cup semi-finals.
Manchester City midfielder Phil Foden could be in line for a return vs Southampton
Manchester City midfielder Phil Foden could be in line for a return vs Southampton(Image: Visionhaus/Getty Images)
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Manchester City are back under the arch today when they face Championship club Southampton in the semi-finals of the FA Cup. The competition remains important to Pep Guardiola and his players despite City being embroiled in a fierce battle for the Premier League title.
The Blues will not underestimate Southampton, particularly as Tonda Eckert's side knocked out Arsenal to book their Wembley spot. That being said, Guardiola will likely take the opportunity to mix things up and rotate his team. James Trafford will start in goal having featured in every round of the FA Cup so far.
Trafford's future is in doubt but he has not failed City when called upon. In defence, Guardiola will be tempted to welcome John Stones back to the starting line-up. The centre-back is out of contract at the end of the season and is expected to leave the club.
Giving him a start at Wembley would be a fitting decision even if Guardiola refused to be drawn on whether Stones would start in his pre-match press conference. Nico O'Reilly's return to midfield did not quite work against Burnley but moving him to left-back would strengthen the Blues for this semi-final.
With O'Reilly at left-back, Nico Gonzalez could also be recalled. Guardiola confirmed on Friday he would not take a risk on Rodri so recalling the Spain international makes sense. Gonzalez has performed well when called upon and is more than good enough to slot into the midfield alongside captain Bernardo Silva.
Antoine Semenyo has looked slightly off it in the past couple of matches and could do with a rest. If that was to happen, Rayan Cherki could move to the right flank and Phil Foden could play down the middle.
Foden has been forced to watch from the sidelines this year while Cherki and co. impress. However, a big game like this could be the opportunity Foden needs to rejuvenate himself, especially with a World Cup on the horizon.
Completing the line-up could be Jeremy Doku and Erling Haaland. Both Tijjani Reijnders and Omar Marmoush will be pushing for starts but Guardiola will not want to change too much considering a spot in the FA Cup final is on the line.
City's predicted XI vs Southampton: Trafford; Nunes, Stones, Guehi, O'Reilly; Gonzalez, Bernardo; Cherki, Foden, Doku; Haaland