Manchester City travels to Wales looking to continue their pursuit of domestic cup glory as they face Swansea City fourth round of the Carabao Cup, Softfootball reports
The Swans come into this one full of confidence after a home win over Norwich City lifted them to 13th in the Championship. Alan Sheehan’s men have already proven capable of springing a surprise, having edged Premier League side Nottingham Forest 3–2 in the previous round.
Manchester City, meanwhile, will be aiming to respond after a narrow defeat to Aston Villa in the Premier League. Pep Guardiola’s side are targeting a return to winning ways and a place in the quarter-finals of the competition.
Team News
Speaking ahead of the clash. Swansea manager Alan Sheehen expressed optimism and called on their fan to create a special atmosphere in the stadium.
We’re hoping for a wonderful atmosphere out there and to have a really good night for the football club.
Watch the clip as shared on the club’s official x handle below:
Swansea will again be without Ricardo Santos who has a knee injury. Malick Yalcouye is still on suspension. Head coach Alan Sheehan is expected to rotate, with Adam Idah likely to lead the attack, while Benson Manuel Hedilazio and Ishe Samuels-Smith could both feature from the start.
In a pre match conference interview shared on the club’s official x handle, Guardiola confirmed he plans to rotate his squad, allowing opportunities for those needing minutes while giving others a rest. He said:
Yes, absolutely. The Carabao Cup has always been like that. Some players need rest, and others need minutes to show they’re ready. The competition is perfect for that.
Pep Guardiola provided an update on the fitness of several key players, including Haaland, Khusanov, and Rodri.
Erling [Haaland] — I didn’t see him yet today, but it was a knock. We’ll train this afternoon and see how he feels,” said Guardiola.
He also confirmed that Abdukodir Khusanov is ready to make his return after missing the last seven matches.
[Abdukodir] Khusanov is ready; he’ll play a few minutes tomorrow.
He also offered a cautious update on Rodri, who continues his recovery from a muscular issue.
Rodri still is not ready. He’s getting better, he’s training, but of course, after what happened twice, we are going to see.
The City boss also expressed excitement about Omar Marmoush’s return to form after an injury-hit spell. He noted
Omar and Erling can play together. If we need players close to the box, Omar is the best we have alongside Erling. He’s still young and has room to improve.
Predicted Lineups
Swansea City: Fisher; Key, Casey, Burgess, Samuels-Smith; Franco, Galbraith; Manuel Hedilazio, Cullen, Eom; Idah
Manchester City: Trafford; Nunes, Stones, Ake, O’Reilly; Lewis; Bobb, Kovacic, Nico, Doku; Marmoush
Prediction
Swansea will look to use their home crowd and recent form to their advantage, but even with rotation, Manchester City’s quality and depth make them strong favourites to progress.
Prediction: Swansea City 0–2 Manchester City
