Manchester City playmaker Kevin De Bruyne is named on the substitutes' bench for this evening's Premier League clash against Newcastle United at St James' Park.
De Bruyne made his long-awaited return as a substitute for the Citizens last weekend after five months on the sidelines with a hamstring injury, and although Pep Guardiola stated at his pre-match press conference that the Belgian would be ready to start, he will begin once again on the bench this evening.
Guardiola has made a total of six changes to the side that beat Huddersfield Town 5-0 in the FA Cup last time out, with the most notable inclusion being Jeremy Doku who starts his first game in over a month after recovering from injury.
First-choice goalkeeper Ederson returns and takes the place of Stefan Ortega, while captain Kyle Walker and Nathan Ake are recalled in defence at the expense of Rico Lewis and the injured Manuel Akanji, joining Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol in the back four.
Star lynchpin Rodri will link arms with Mateo Kovacic in midfield, while Bernardo Silva – who has recovered from illness – will operate on the right flank as in-form Phil Foden continues in the number 10 role, with Doku on the left and Julian Alvarez up front; Jack Grealish, meanwhile, is fit to make the bench after recovering from illness.
As for Newcastle, Eddie Howe has made just the one change to the team that beat Sunderland 3-0 in the FA Cup last weekend, an enforced one as the injured Joelinton is replaced by 17-year-old midfielder Lewis Miley, who will start alongside Bruno Guimaraes and Sean Longstaff in centre-midfield.
A back four of Kieran Trippier, Fabian Schar, Sven Botman and Dan Burn remains intact, while Miguel Almiron, Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon all start in attack.
There is no sign of Valentino Livramento in the Magpies' matchday squad as the full-back is ruled out through illness.
Newcastle United: Dubravka; Trippier, Schar, Botman, Burn; Longstaff, Guimaraes, Miley; Almiron, Isak, Gordon
Subs: Karius, Gillespie, Dummett, Lascelles, Ritchie, Krafth, Hall, A. Murphy, Parkinson
Manchester City: Ederson; Walker, Dias, Ake, Gvardiol; Rodri, Kovacic; Bernardo, Foden, Doku; Alvarez
Subs: Ortega, Phillips, Grealish, De Bruyne, Gomez, Nunes, Bobb, Susoho, Lewis
