Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca will rest several key players for Wednesday’s Carabao Cup tie against Brighton. The team looks to bounce back following a recent 2-1 Premier League defeat to Aston Villa.
City Rotate Following Villa Defeat
Maresca confirmed he gave five players three days off to recover their energy. Erling Haaland, Ruben Dias, Elliot Anderson, Gianluigi Donnarumma and Josko Gvardiol will miss the midweek fixture. Geronimo Rulli will start in goal instead of Donnarumma. Maresca praised Rulli for his daily application and confirmed the backup goalkeeper knows his role within the squad.
Brighton Face Injury Concerns
Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler confirmed several injury doubts ahead of the Carabao Cup trip to the Etihad Stadium. Chema Andres and Ferdi Kadioglu suffered painful hip injuries recently. Both players are major doubts for Wednesday but should recover for Saturday’s league fixture. Pascal Struijk remains unavailable for selection. However, Michael Svoboda will return to the matchday squad to boost the defensive options.
Iraola And Alonso Reunite At Anfield
Elsewhere in the competition, Liverpool will host Chelsea at Anfield. Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola will face his close friend and former teammate, Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso. Iraola noted they grew up together and played in the same teams. He confirmed they plan to catch up after the final whistle. Liverpool enter the match seeking a fifth consecutive victory.