Manchester City are without Nathan Ake for this afternoon’s FA Cup semi-final date with Sheffield United at Wembley.
The Dutch defender limped off midway through the second leg of City’s Champions League quarter-final tie with Bayern Munich on Wednesday night with what appeared to be a hamstring strain, with Aymeric Laporte brought on in his place.
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While City are still waiting to learn the severity of the injury, manager Pep Guardiola confirmed in his pre-match press conference that Ake, who has shone on the left of the back-three system used in recent weeks, will not be involved today.
“He’s not ready for tomorrow, but I don’t know how is the damage,” Guardiola told reporters on Friday. “I think today they make the final test to know exactly what he has.”
Guardiola once again emphasised that there were plenty of tired legs in the City squad after the Bayern match, so it’s no surprises that he has made changes this afternoon.
Stefan Ortega starts in goal as he has done throughout the FA Cup run this season, while Kyle Walker and Laporte both come in too along with Sergio Gomez.
Riyad Mahrez returns to the starting XI as well after missing out against Bayern, while Julian Alvarez also gets the nod. Phil Foden is once again on the bench following surgery for appendicitis.
“He was on the bench in Munich after two training sessions following two, three weeks without training,” Guardiola said of Foden. “Every day that passes he’ll be better.”
Starting XI: Ortega, Walker, Akanji, Laporte, Gomez, Gundogan, Bernardo, Mahrez, Alvarez, Grealish, Haaland
Subs: Ederson, Dias, Phillips, Stones, Rodri, De Bruyne, Foden, Palmer, Lewis
