City boss Pep Guardiola has a number of big decisions to make for Saturday's FA Cup final
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Kevin De Bruyne of Manchester City
Kevin De Bruyne of Manchester City(Image: Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)
Manchester City travel to Wembley this afternoon looking to win the FA Cup.
The Blues take on Crystal Palace in the showpiece and Pep Guardiola's side will be desperate to claim a trophy from what has been a lacklustre campaign. City are miles off the pace in the Premier League and are yet to secure a top five spot and Champions League football for next season.
They exited the Carabao Cup in October and the Champions League in the play-off round, meaning the FA Cup and the upcoming Club World Cup are the only silverware options left to Guardiola and Co.
Palace will prove a tough nut to crack having drawn 2-2 with City at Selhurst Park before racing into a two-goal lead at the Etihad in April before Kevin De Bruyne inspired a comeback. This could be the Belgian's final Wembley appearance and while Guardiola has most of his squad available, there remain a couple of intriguing selection calls.
Stefan Ortega is set to get the nod in goal as the cup keeper while the biggest decision at the back is for the spare starting slot alongside Ruben Dias, Josko Gvardiol and Manuel Akanji. Nico O'Reilly has been one of the stars of the cup run but could miss out with Gvardiol an option at left back. Matheus Nunes could get the nod over Rico Lewis.
In midfield, Mateo Kovacic, Bernardo Silva and De Bruyne can fill the central three slots if Guardiola reverts back to the more familiar formation having played 4-2-2-2 in recent weeks.
Erling Haaland has to start up front and Omar Marmoush has done enough to earn selection. Jeremy Doku scored in last year's final defeat to Manchester United and showed his worth off the bench at Southampton. He's probably played his way in at the expense of Phil Foden.
Jack Grealish will also likely have to make do with a place on the bench while Ilkay Gundogan - the hero of the 2023 final - might also be among the subs even if his selection call in the middle is more in the balance.
City predicted XI: Ortega, Nunes, Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol, Kovacic, Bernardo, De Bruyne, Marmoush, Doku, Haaland.
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