Manchester City will take on Norwich City in the third round of the Carabao Cup on Thursday, September 17, with kick-off at 7.30pm at the Etihad Stadium, and manager Enzo Maresca is expected to make widespread changes to his starting lineup.
Despite City entering the match as holders of the trophy, the competition appears to rank low on Maresca's list of priorities during his opening months in charge. The Italian has overseen an impressive start to his tenure, guiding City to four wins from four in the Premier League and a victorious opening fixture in the Champions League. Attention will quickly turn back to domestic league business, with Sunderland visiting the Etihad this weekend.
Given the demanding schedule, Maresca is likely to lean on squad depth against Norwich, continuing a pattern he established last season at Chelsea when he made eight changes at the equivalent stage of the competition.
City will be without Phil Foden, who begins a three-match suspension following his sending off in Sunday's derby victory over Manchester United. Jeremy Doku also remains unavailable, still recovering from the calf injury he sustained during last month's Community Shield.
In goal, summer arrival Geronimo Rulli could be handed his first appearance for the club. The Argentine international joined from Marseille during the transfer window and is expected to be trusted with his debut in this lower-stakes fixture.
The defence is also set for changes, with Vitor Reis poised to make his first start of the campaign and Rico Lewis returning to the side. Midfield could see more minutes for teenage recruit Ayyoub Bouaddi, who is expected to partner Mateo Kovacic, while Brazilian winger Allan may be given his first taste of action for the club.
Rayan Ait-Nouri, a player Maresca has previously described as someone he views "more as a winger than a full-back," is a candidate to feature on the flank, though Iliman Ndiaye also presents an option. The former Everton forward remains eligible for this tie despite already having represented his previous club in an earlier round, a scenario permitted under revised cup rules that now allow players to appear for two different clubs in the same competition.
Up front, with Erling Haaland expected to be rested, Antoine Semenyo looks best placed to lead the line as a central striker.
Nico O'Reilly, who returned from injury to feature for the final eight minutes of the derby win, remains a possible inclusion in either defence or midfield, though his workload may be carefully monitored. The player spent much of the summer away with England at the World Cup, limiting his preparation time.
Based on the reported team news, City's predicted lineup features a 4-2-3-1 formation: Rulli in goal; a back four of Khusanov, Reis, Guehi and Lewis; Kovacic and Bouaddi in central midfield; and an attacking trio of Allan, Ndiaye and Ait-Nouri supporting Semenyo up top.
The match will be broadcast live on Sky Sports.
Based on reporting from Standard Football.