It feels like yesterday that Fernandinho was lifting the Premier League trophy high into the East Manchester sky, but Manchester City are already back in competitive action against Liverpool in the FA Community Shield.
Pep Guardiola's side enjoyed a successful tour of the United States in pre-season and have returned to England in preparation for another jam-packed campaign. Their first task is taking on a familiar foe, but the friendly-like nature of the fixture will allow the manager to assess his squad for the final time before the Premier League opener.
Liverpool won the FA Cup final against Chelsea on penalties last season, so have earned the right to face City again in 2022. It's expected the two sides will battle it out for the league title again this season, but first they will lock horns at the King Power Stadium for the first piece of silverware on offer.
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Guardiola confirmed in his pre-match press conference that Aymeric Laporte will be missing until at least September after having knee surgery. The Spaniard valiantly battled through the last two Premier League games in the 2021/22 campaign, but was subsequently forced to fix his issue over the summer.
There's plenty of change at the club, but one thing that's not likely to change is Guardiola's preference on goalkeepers. Ederson is City's undisputed number one, but Stefan Ortega will be put to the ultimate test against Liverpool for this one - continuing the theme of back-up 'keepers in the domestic cup competitions.
With Laporte still injured and John Stones not back up to full speed, the centre-back pairing of Nathan Aké and Ruben Dias is likely to continue. The duo combined well against Bayern Munich in pre-season and will be looking to keep that solidity against a refreshed Liverpool front three.
At full-back, Joao Cancelo will continue his role on the left, with City's pursuit of Marc Cucurella continuing to drag on and on. The ever-reliable Kyle Walker is back fit and firing after his ankle problems at the end of last season and will take up his usual right-back position.
City have replaced Fernandinho with Kalvin Phillips, but Rodri will be a constant in defensive midfield. As will Kevin De Bruyne , who is usually partnered by Bernardo Silva in the two number eight roles.
The forward line is possibly the most intriguing position on the field; will Erling Haaland play? He could well start to get him some more minutes, alongside Jack Grealish and Riyad Mahrez .
Grealish and Haaland formed a brilliant partnership against Bayern Munich. so they will be looking to rekindle that again and break down one of Europe's toughest backlines.
Predicted City line-up vs Liverpool : Ortega; Walker, Dias, Aké, Cancelo; Rodri, De Bruyne, Silva; Grealish, Mahrez, Haaland.
You can choose your preferred lineup and see what other fans selected here:
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