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Thursday 03 April 2025 14:00
Ruben Amorim will address the press on Friday to preview the 196th Manchester derby but there is already plenty of early team news for the Old Trafford encounter.
Leny Yoro returned from a short lay-off to start in defence as United lost 1-0 to Nottingham Forest on Tuesday night, despite the Reds dominating possession and creating a number of chances.
Harry Maguire and Mason Mount also came off the bench, with both agonisingly close to scoring an equaliser, to promote their claims to play at the weekend.
Altay Bayindir returned to the fray, as an unused substitute, and the squad is looking in decent shape, although Jonny Evans, Ayden Heaven, Kobbie Mainoo and Amad are still battling to regain fitness, and Lisandro Martinez is ruled out for the remainder of the season.
Centre-forward Rasmus Hojlund came on at The City Ground but is in contention to start against the Blues, as we chase a league double over Pep Guardiola’s men.
Noussair Mazraoui and Bruno Fernandes have both shown their positional flexibility under Amorim, leaving the boss with much to ponder as he plots so overcome City for a third time this term, following a Champions League win with former club Sporting and the 2-1 triumph at the Etihad Stadium in December.
CITY’S TEAM NEWS
The visitors will definitely be without top scorer Erling Haaland, with the Norway international expected to be sidelined for between five and seven weeks after injuring an ankle in last weekend’s Emirates FA Cup quarter-final win at Bournemouth.
Omar Marmoush, a big-money arrival from Eintracht Frankfurt in January, replaced Haaland at the Vitality Stadium and scored the winner in a 2-1 victory. The Egypt attacker followed it up with the second goal in the 2-0 midweek home success against relegation-haunted Leicester City, after Jack Grealish struck early on.
The Blues did not appear to pick up any fresh issues on a largely comfortable night at the Etihad Stadium and welcomed Oscar Bobb back after almost eight months out.
Guardiola was able to leave Abdukodir Khusanov, Mateo Kovacic, Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva and Phil Foden out of his XI, with one eye on Sunday’s clash.
However, Manuel Akanji, Nathan Ake, John Stones and Rodri look certain to remain unavailable for the 16:00 BST kick-off.
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Thursday 03 April 2025 14:00
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