MAN CITY v Viktoria Plzen – The PREVIEW: City’s Probable Team
26 Nov
A game in the Champions League that doesn’t matter. And, as a complete turnaround from the past couple of years, it’s because we’ve already qualified! With only a very slim chance of topping the group and with such a demanding fixture list ahead, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Manuel Pellegrini use this encounter as an opportunity to make a few changes. He has already stated that Joe Hart will start, while Micah Richards, Joleon Lescott and Aleks Kolarov – perhaps even Dedryck Boyata – could be in line to come into defence.
Edin Dzeko to score first and City to win 2-0 is a tempting 12/1 with William Hill!
Javi Garcia and James Milner and also competing for a chance to feature from the beginning, while the ever-grumpy Edin Dzeko will be given an opportunity to star, with both Sergio Aguero and Alvaro Negredo expected to be rested. John Guidetti, on the bench at the weekend, hasn’t been named in City’s Champions League squad but if the club decide to register him today, he can be named in B List and would be eligible to play.
Here is the side Pellegrini could select:
Referee: Firat Aydinus (Turkey)
Prediction: MAN CITY 2 – 0 Viktoria Plzen – With our more creative, pulsating attackers likely to be on the bench, it might not be a total procession but we’ll still have enough quality to secure the victory. Goals to be scored by Edin Dzeko and James Milner.
Love to see Rodwell play but isn’t he recovering from an injury at the moment?
Yeah Rodwell is injured. So I think that Garcia will play where Rodwell is. Also I think Kolarov is sick. So Clichy and Boyata/Nastasic/Demichelis in for Rodwell and Kolarov.
Please tell me it’s not yet another thigh/hamstring injury? If it is that does not bode well. I’m always worried about players returning from injury too soon. Too often a player’s enthusiasm combined with a club wanting to get a return on their money translates throwing a player back into the fray when they’re not 100%. Not disparaging the man or the club.Just don’t want to see Rodwell become the new Darren Anderton of this generation of EPL players
…..worse still a new Michael Johnson…..
I despair for the boy, he has talent, is big, strong and athletic; on the face of it he’s got most of the attributes to be a commanding box to box midfielder in the Paddy Vieira mold…… but……
Mind you, didn’t Steven Gerrard have the same sort of problems, until he grew into his body at around Rodders age? The club do seem to be taking things ‘easy does it’ with Rodwell, and are avoiding rushing him back despite the lads urgent desire to be playing.
I suppose they do have Javi Garcia available to keep the moaners chattering away contentedly and when he’s not around there’s always Yaya to stand in for him in the ‘stocks’ to collect a few rotten cabbages, so there’s no urgent need.
I was hoping that JG might get a run out but wasn’t aware he was not on the CL players list until I read VfaB’s piece. Still, whilst I don’t attempt to understand the Uefa gerrymandering over A and B lists and phony draws for post group stages, I’ll bow to his better knowledge of these matters and hope they get him listed and on the park. If not, why not Marcos Lopes or Emyr Huws? If we can’t feed a youngster into a game like this when will we?
Kolarov is fit, it was a sickness bug not an injury that kept him out against Spuds.
I agree with comments lets play some youngsters
Why not play Richards at centre back and see how he goes to my mind he is certainly better than Boyata and Garcia
Shame Rodwell is injury I think he looks very promising if only he could get an extended injury free run