It’s very difficult to actually know who is going to start for Manchester City on Saturday because Man City have had players involved in Euro 2016, new arrivals and also a host of injuries.
That said, I’ve researched the players and who might start and these are my three players to watch ahead of this weekend’s game…
John Stones
John Stones will want to start this game. I don’t think any player, irrespective of how much money and how much hype surrounds him, wants to be sat on the bench after they’ve moved clubs. The reason City have paid the amount they have is because they think Stones is a very good player, and personally he knows there are areas of his game that Pep Guardiola will improve. I think it will take five or six games for us to be able to tell what Guardiola wants to do and how he wants to play, but what I see in Stones is an elegant footballer who likes to pass the ball out from the back. He’s only 21 and he’s still a very young player, so I’m looking forward to seeing him play and I hope he does well - just not this weekend!
Kevin De Bruyne
There is something about Kevin De Bruyne – he’s energetic, he’s lively and he always looks a threat. He’s a player who doesn’t ever look like he lacks energy and he carries the ball on and on and on. He’s always looking to create something and with the likes of Sergio Aguero and Kelechi Iheanacho ahead of him he can tear you apart, because he sees their movement and can pick a pass if you switch off. He has a free-kick in his locker, he can run with the ball and he likes to come inside and shoot, so all in all he’s the complete package. He had a few injuries last season which was his first at Man City, so this will be the year where he really wants to produce and kick on.
Kelechi Iheanacho
My final player to watch is someone I’ve watched in the past – he may start, he may not – Kelechi Iheanacho. I’ve watched him in the reserves where he was very good and I watched him last season against Aston Villa in the FA Cup, and although Villa were poor on the day he was strong, he worked the defence and he’s incredibly confident when it comes to finishing. One of his goals he had a lot of ground to make up when through and you watch to see what’s going through his mind – is he worried about recovering defenders, the goalkeeper or missing – but he showed none of it and slotted the ball nonchalantly into the net. He scored another goal in the game and looked bright, alert and very powerful, so I think he could be a key player from the start or from the bench.
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