Shakhtar Donetsk vs Manchester City injury update & predicted starting line-ups

Guardiola
Guardiola

Manchester City open their Champions League campaign on Wednesday with a tricky-looking test at Shakhtar Donetsk.

City head into the game on the back of their shock 3-2 defeat at Norwich City in the Premier League last Saturday that left them five points adrift of leaders Liverpool.

Manager Pep Guardiola has been dealt a major blow, with John Stones ruled out for 4-5 weeks with a muscular injury. He joins Aymeric Laporte, Benjamin Mendy and Phil Foden on the sidelines.

Joao Cancelo is likely to come in at full-back, with Fernandinho partnering Nicolas Otamendi at centre-half.

Playmaker Kevin De Bruyne will be back in the starting XI after surprisingly being picked amongst the substitutes as City crashed at Carrow Road.

The two sides met in last season’s group stage, with City winning 3-0 away from home and 6-0 at the Etihad Stadium.

Predicted starting line-ups:

Shakhtar: Pyatov, Bolbat, Krivtsov, Matviyenko, Ismaily, Stepanenko, Alan, Konoplyanka, Marlos, Taison, Moraes.

Man City: Ederson, Joao Cancelo, Fernandinho, Otamendi, Zinchenko, Rodri, De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Mahrez, Aguero, Sterling.

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