Sporting CP (H) - CL Last 16 - Wed 9th March, 20:00 | Pre-Match Thread

[alexmcity]

surely a youth player is getting his CL debut in defense tomorrow then, I can't see any other way to make up a defense. zinchenko stones and laporte the only ones who can play

Ferna next to Laporte at CB with Stones at RB. Gundo/Rodri at DM.

 

[City_Sean]

Ederson
Ferna Stones Laporte Zinchenko
Gundo Rodri Bernardo
Jesus Delap Sterling

Thats my guess.

 

[alexmcity]

I hope he stays for another season too but part of me thinks going into another season with just Rodri and a 37 year old Fernandinho is a bit risky. If Rodri gets a bad injury, it has the potential to derail our season in the same way as Laporte getting injured did in 2019/20. The problem with bringing in someone as good as Rodri is they're going to want to play most weeks. Some tricky decisions to make in the summer.

No one is as good as Rodri mate. Rice is very good, but his passing ability, a key quality for a Pep DM, is quite inferior to Rodri's.

 

[alexmcity]

Ederson
Ferna Stones Laporte Zinchenko
Gundo Rodri Bernardo
Jesus Delap Sterling

Thats my guess.

Grealish will start, imo. He needs more minutes to find his very best form and establish himself in the first XI.

 

[Vester]

Think we should line up like this:
Ederson
Egan-Riley Stones Mbete Zinch
McAtee Fernandinho Gündogan
Jesus Delap Sterling

But I expect Delap, McAtee and one of Egan-Riley/Mbete to be on the bench with Mahrez/Grealish Silva and Rodri starting.

 

[stan bowles]

Playing Stones or Laporte seems highly risky to me. Fern and one of the youngsters it should be.

 

[Deleted member 81382]

No one is as good as Rodri mate. Rice is very good, but his passing ability, a key quality for a Pep DM, is quite inferior to Rodri's.

I agree on Rice, he's being overhyped.

Someone like Frenkie De Jong would be ideal in the sense that he could play as a DM for us but also as an 8 so it wouldn't necessarily be a straight choice between the two.

 

[Vester]

Pep says Mbete will play

The quote was "tomorrow he will be in the the team and maybe we'll need him". Or with other words, he will be in the squad, but not decided if he will start yet. Maybe he will, maybe he wont. I hope he does:)

 

[kaz7]

Joao Cancelo is out with illness
Wednesday's game will come too soon for Nathan Aké, who was also forced off against Peterborough in the FA Cup at half-time due to injury.
"I think the next days but tomorrow is too risky, and with Ruben [Dias] out for a long time, we can't lose another centre-back. After this game, we will have recovery, but we can not lose Nathan. It's too risky the doctor said," the managed revealed earlier.
Pep Guardiola also revealed that Joao Cancelo will be unavailable on Wednesday due to illness.
Kyle Walker remains suspended after being sent off against RB Leipzig in December, with UEFA handing the England right-back a three-match ban.
"We have just 14 players available, we have a few problems with Kyle suspended and Joao is sick and can't play," Guardiola said on Tuesday.

---

 

[BlueNirvana]

never a better chance to play some of the kids but we all know what pep is like

 

[Gaz (FMwkdsoul)]

Guessing this line up is mind boggling. so many/little options all at once.

 

[chaddblue]

The quote was "tomorrow he will be in the the team and maybe we'll need him". Or with other words, he will be in the squad, but not decided if he will start yet. Maybe he will, maybe he wont. I hope he does:)

Ok. I just read 'in the team' and read it literally

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

Cancelo’s sickness has come out of nowhere. Has he tested positive for Covid, do we think?

 

[Vester]

Cancelo’s sickness has come out of nowhere. Has he tested positive for Covid, do we think?

Seems likely, considering its been a couple of covid cases in other PL teams as well the last week or so. Hopefully its just Covid and nothing more serious, he should be back in a couple of days.

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

Seems likely, considering its been a couple of covid cases in other PL teams as well the last week or so. Hopefully its just Covid and nothing more serious, he should be back in a couple of days.

He’s got a week until Palace, hopefully he tests negative by the weekend.

 

[Deleted member 87819]

Of course the qualification isn’t at risk, but this could be a dangerous game

 

[lionheart]

Cancelo’s sickness has come out of nowhere. Has he tested positive for Covid, do we think?

Mind games more likely as Cancelo was never going to start. KDB likewise will not feature. We cannot risk more suspensions for the Quarter Final.

 

[kaz7]

Mind games more likely as Cancelo was never going to start. KDB likewise will not feature. We cannot risk more suspensions for the Quarter Final.

Pep doesnt play mind games with illness , he has no need to even make up an excuse

 

[ninjamonkey]

This very sudden defensive crisis just further amplifies how mind bogglingly stupid walkers red card was. I'm glad Pep is still seething with him for it. Would rather see a kid or two play, with a 5 goal lead we can play Mbete and Egan Riley and not have any trouble and that way we keep the few defenders we do have fit and healthy for much more important games but I suspect Fernandinho and laporte centre back, stones right back zinchenko left back to start.

 

[Asa's left peg]

Maybe get Elano back to play fullback