Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne could be sidelined for Manchester City this weekend as Pep Guardiola contemplates shuffling the pack with seven changes against Chelsea.
With less than three days separating the gruelling Champions League penalty shoot-out against Real Madrid and the upcoming FA Cup clash at Wembley on Saturday, Guardiola has acknowledged the tight schedule saying: “It is what it is,” while also contending with the aftermath of a taxing European night.
The City boss admitted that the extended match against Madrid has not made preparations for the pivotal FA Cup semi-final any easier. Compounding his concerns are the fitness doubts over key players like; Haaland, De Bruyne and Manu Akanji, who all signalled for substitutions during the midweek game, casting uncertainty over their availability for the Chelsea fixture.
With seven players having endured the full 120 minutes on Wednesday, rotations may be necessary to maintain squad vitality for the Wembley showdown. While Ederson could potentially feature twice within a short span, given his composed penalty-taking against Real, Stefan Ortega has been the go-to goalkeeper for cup ties and his recent form warrants a return for Saturday, ensuring both ‘keepers stay sharp.
If Akanji is a doubt, John Stones can come back in after coming off the bench in extra time on Wednesday. Kyle Walker completed the full game on his return so it could make sense to bring in Rico Lewis at right-back.
Ruben Dias may have to remain in the side due to a lack of other options, but Nathan Ake is back so can add stability to the left side of the defence after a good performance in midweek from Josko Gvardiol. Rodri is undroppable and may have to remain despite his pleas for a rest recently.
