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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Sport
Joe Bray

Jack Grealish and Kyle Walker return in Man City predicted team vs Crystal Palace

Pep Guardiola has already hinted at a number of Manchester City players who are in line to start at Crystal Palace on Monday.

With City holding a 5-0 lead over Sporting in the Champions League, Guardiola rested three key players entirely and replaced two more at half-time of the stalemate second leg on Tuesday.

Since then, Guardiola has welcomed back four first teamers to training and could take a strong, refreshed side to south London for a rare Monday night fixture. Starting in defence, Kyle Walker was suspended in the Champions League and would be expected to come back in at right-back to combat Wilfried Zaha's threat.

ALSO READ: Man City provide injury update on four players ahead of Crystal Palace trip

John Stones and Aymeric Laporte should continue at centre-back, with Nathan Ake's return to training a boost with Ruben Dias still out. Joao Cancelo is another player who missed the Sporting game, but he appears to have recovered from illness so can come in on the left for a much stronger backline than the one that played in midweek.

If Cancelo is not fit enough, then Aleks Zinchenko is an able replacement on the left.

Rodri and Kevin De Bruyne got the night off against Sporting, while Bernardo Silva was replaced at the break, so that would be a likely midfield trio to try and help City to a crucial three points at a ground where victories have never been straightforward.

In attack, Jack Grealish deserves a chance to build on his Manchester derby performance and his own midweek rest, with Phil Foden another obvious starter after his pre-planned withdrawal at half-time in the Champions League.

That leaves one place on the right between Riyad Mahrez, Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus. Given that Mahrez only played a half on Tuesday, compared to a full game for Sterling and Jesus, it seems logical that Mahrez should get the nod from the start to try and add to his 21 goals already this season.

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