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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Sport
Liam Wood

Zinchenko to start as Man City fans name five changes they want to see vs Fulham

Manchester City are fit and firing for their FA Cup tie against Championship table-toppers Fulham - with only one certain absentee at the Etihad Stadium.

Ukraine defender Aleks Zinchenko is back after missing the last four games through injury.

Despite picking up their own issues during the international break, back-up stopper Zack Steffen and Gabriel Jesus have trained with City during the build-up.

Riyad Mahrez is in contention, too, after returning early from AFCON duty with Algeria, but Cole Palmer is out.

Here is the line-up Pep Guardiola is being urged to pick by Manchester Evening News readers;

Goalkeeper - Zack Steffen

You would normally expect the American to be handed the gloves by Guardiola for this one. However, the United States international missed all three fixtures for his country during the break and, while he has returned to training, that will be a determining factor in the final call.

Defenders - Kyle Walker, John Stones, Aymeric Laporte, Aleks Zinchenko

Such is their worth to the City cause, Portuguese duo Ruben Dias and Joao Cancelo ought to sit this one out with two Premier League games on the horizon.

That is the way supporters are seeing it, anyway.

Fulham are a potent attacking force in the Championship and will need respect in that regard. However, even if he does opt to rest Dias and Cancelo, the City manager can still select a water-tight defensive line.

With that comes an opportunity to welcome Zinchenko back into the fold, too.

Midfielders - Rodri, Fernandinho, Kevin de Bruyne

An eye-catching selection from the City fans in the engine room for this FA Cup tie.

It's usually one or the other when it comes to Rodri or Brazil veteran Fernandinho, but the two holding midfielders are both being tipped to start against the west Londoners.

Should that happen, would Rodri be the one to pick up a slightly more advanced role?

Kevin de Bruyne was back to his best before the international break and, whoever is chosen alongside him, there is also Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva to call upon - among other seniors and Academy prospects.

Forwards - Riyad Mahrez, Gabriel Jesus, Jack Grealish

Guardiola would have ideally liked the opportunity to hand Palmer further game-time after his stunning display in the previous round against League Two side Swindon.

Who will win the FA Cup this season? Have your say in the comments section below.

However, due to injury, that will not be possible as attentions turn to free-scoring Fulham.

Depending on their own fitness, returning internationals Mahrez and Jesus are being tipped to underline their own worth here, alongside £100million man Jack Grealish.

That leaves Phil Foden and Raheem Sterling waiting in the wings if things go pear-shaped to start with.

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