Two of Manchester City's stars from the FA Cup this season have not been given a place in the squad for the final
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Sport
15:52, 17 May 2025
Nico O'Reilly of Manchester City celebrates scoring his team's fifth goal with James McAtee and Rico Lewis during the Premier League match between City and Crystal Palace
Rico Lewis, right, and James McAtee, left
Pep Guardiola brutally left Rico Lewis and James McAtee out of his selection for the FA Cup final in a squad full of surprises. McAtee has been an integral part of the run in the competition and scored a hat-trick against Salford in the 8-0 win; no City player has scored more than the three McAtee has this season.
The England Under-21 star was suspended for the semi-final but Rico Lewis stepped up and scored inside two minutes to help City past Nottingham Forest with a commanding performance. He has been used more than most in the squad this season, yet also did not make the bench.
In their place, midfielder Claudio Echeverri and defenders Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis are included on the bench despite limited involvement this season. All three arrived in the New Year but Khusanov is the only one to have really played and he hasn't featured since March.
Mateo Kovacic, who was named man-of-the-match in the semi-final win over Nottingham Forest was also absent from the squad. He did not feel fully fit and was not risked.
There were also surprises in the starting XI, with Guardiola picking a very attacking lineup to take on Crystal Palace. Savinho, Jeremy Doku, Omar Marmoush, Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne all started with Bernardo Silva the most defensive-minded midfielder in the team.
Nico O'Reilly returns to the team after being taken out for the draw against Southampton. He starts in a backline that includes Manu Akanji, Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol.
Stefan Ortega keeps his place in goal as the cup goalkeeper, with Ederson on the bench. Jack Grealish, Phil Foden and Ilkay Gundogan are also among the substitutes.
City are hoping to win the FA Cup for the second time in three years and pick up more major silverware in what has been a disappointing season. The Blues are also looking to confirm a top-five finish in the Premier League that will guarantee Champions League football next season.
In the final, they face a Palace side who are looking to win the competition for the first time in their history. Palace have scored twice against City in both league meetings this season but have only picked up one point from those games.
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