Pep Guardiola will be somewhat relieved his Manchester City side have practically already got the job done against Sporting Lisbon.
City host the Portuguese side in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie at the Etihad on Wednesday. Having won the first leg 5-0, it would take a monumental upset for the Blues not to book their place in the quarter-finals.
Ordinarily, that might give Guardiola free rein to experiment with his side as he looks to offer rests to some of his star men. But with injuries taking their toll, he finds his options somewhat limited.
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The City boss has claimed he is down to 14 fit players for the visit of Sporting. Joao Cancelo has come down with illness, Ruben Dias and Nathan Ake remain out injured, and Kyle Walker is also unavailable having been handed a three-match ban for his dismissal against RB Leipzig.
Luke Mbete, who was named on the bench for Sunday’s derby win over Manchester United, could be in line to make an appearance. With the tie all but over, handing the youngster a chance doesn't represent too much of a risk, it’s just a question of whether Guardiola wants to rest his other defensive options.
There's a chance we could see Fernandinho come in at centre-back, as he has done previously, with John Stones moving out to right-back. Oleksandr Zinchenko will almost certainly come in at left-back.
In midfield, Kevin De Bruyne is unlikely to be risked, with the Belgian just one booking away from a suspension. That means Ilkay Gundogan is likely to return to the line-up, although some of the club’s other youngsters could also be in contention.
Thankfully for Guardiola, his options in attack aren't so limited. Gabriel Jesus could be in line for a return to the side, while Raheem Sterling will be eyeing a place in the starting XI after being left on the bench against United.
James McAtee and Liam Delap will also be in contention for a chance to show what they can do. Considering their practically unassailable lead in the tie, Guardiola could easily choose to really mix things up on Wednesday night.
Man City predicted line-up (4-3-3): Ederson; Stones, Fernandinho, Laporte, Zinchenko; Rodri, Gundogan, Bernardo; Mahrez, Jesus, Sterling.
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