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Julian Alvarez, Kalvin Phillips and Ruben Dias are all confirmed by Pep Guardiola to be absent although for very different reasons.
After winning the World Cup, Argentine striker Alvarez has been given an extended period of rest which the City boss said will last seven to ten days. He is also likely to miss the New Year’s Eve meeting with Everton.
Guardiola made clear his unhappiness with England midfielder Phillips after he returned from the World Cup “overweight”.
The manager said: “He’s not injured. He arrived overweight. I don’t know [why]. He didn’t arrive in the condition to do training sessions and to play.”
Meanwhile, centre-back Dias will miss the next month due to a hamstring injury.
Aymeric Laporte and Nathan Ake are set to compete for Dias’ spot on the left side of City’s central defensive partnership, both having played in the Carabao Cup win over Liverpool.
Kyle Walker and Joao Cancelo were unused substitutes in that match and should be named in the starting line-up while Phil Foden, Bernardo Silva and Jones Stones push for a return to the XI.
Predicted Manchester City XI: Ederson; Walker, Stones, Laporte, Cancelo; Silva, Rodri, De Bruyne; Mahrez, Haaland, Foden.
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