“Man City Announces Power-Packed 22-Man Squad for Champions League Showdown with Sporting CP”
“Manchester City Unveils 22-Man Squad for Pivotal Champions League Clash with Sporting CP”
Pep Guardiola and Manchester City have announced a 22-man squad traveling to Portugal for matchday four of the UEFA Champions League.
City aim to strengthen their hold on an automatic qualification spot for the Champions League last-16, while also looking to bounce back after two challenging matches across competitions.
Their upcoming match against Ruben Amorim’s Sporting CP follows a commanding 5-0 win over Sparta Prague at the Etihad Stadium on matchday three, with goals from Phil Foden, a brace by Erling Haaland, John Stones, and a penalty by Matheus Nunes.
However, City’s recent form has been less smooth, with back-to-back 2-1 losses to Tottenham in the Carabao Cup and Bournemouth in the Premier League, dropping them to second place behind Liverpool.
The clash with Sporting is the third in a series of four straight away games for City, with their next stop at Brighton & Hove Albion’s Amex Stadium on England’s south coast.
Before that, City’s 22-man squad departed from Manchester Airport on Monday afternoon for Lisbon.
22-Man Manchester City Squad vs Sporting CP Goalkeepers: Ederson, Stefan Ortega Moreno, Scott Carson
Defenders: Rico Lewis, Kyle Walker, Jahmai Simpson-Pusey, Manuel Akanji, Nathan Ake, Josko Gvardiol, Josh Wilson-Esbrand
Midfielders: Nico O’Reilly, Jacob Wright, Ilkay Gundogan, Mateo Kovacic, Matheus Nunes, Bernardo Silva, Kevin De Bruyne, James McAtee, Phil Foden
Forwards: Savinho, Erling Haaland, Jeremy Doku
This squad announcement indicates no changes in injury status following City’s loss to Bournemouth, with five players still out.
Ruben Dias and John Stones continue to be absent due to muscular and foot injuries, respectively, while Jack Grealish remains sidelined. Long-term absentees Oscar Bobb and Rodri are also still out, with Bobb eyeing a return in early 2025, while Rodri is expected back next summer or possibly the start of the 2025/26 season.
