I wouldn’t include Lewis in the main list, not just yet, so that leaves 18 players, two of whom are injured, and a goalkeeper. For me, over the course of the season, that means that, if he even uses the bench, Guardiola will predominantly call upon those main players.
I thought last year that in any one game, the experienced players could ‘carry’ one youngster, for example Lewis, but that things became harder when we fielded two from the supplementary list and downright difficult with three. With the loss of experience and four new players added to the main list, and the time that will take for them all to gel, we might not have the stability to field even one. For that reason, I reckon McAtee will leave today and that Lewis and Bobb will be the ‘fifth men’ in won games. Just my musings.