The Manchester Derby is upon us, and it’s actually City who come into it with the worse squad fitness situation. Manchester City are still strongly favored, despite how poorly they have played lately. Injuries have played a huge role in that, but midfielder Mateo Kovacic was named to the bench in midweek, for continental competition, and he could come back into the first team here.
Meanwhile it appears that Manuel Akanji (undisclosed injury issue) and John Stones (foot problem, which has been reported to be plantar fasciitis) will most likely not be passed fit here.
Manchester Derby FYIs
Kickoff: Sun, Dec 15, 4:30pm, Etihad Stadium
Starting XI Predictions: Man United Man City
Team News: Man United Man City
Probability: United Win 19% | City Win 61% | Draw 20%
Man City Team News
Elsewhere losing Rodri for the season due to a torn ACL is what sent the Cityzens on a downhill slide. That was entirely predictable too, given Man City’s W-L-D records last season, in games with Rodri vs. games without. Additionally, Oscar Bobb (broken leg) and Nathan Ake (thigh) remain sidelined until at least 2025. In the “never thought we’d hear/see this department” City manager Pep Guardiola has come under major fire recently. The bad run of results, plus the always sky high standards at City, have led to widespread criticism.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.