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The final places in the Carabao Cup semi-finals will be decided tonight with Southampton hosting Man City at St Mary’s. Pep Guardiola has already lifted this trophy four times since arriving in England and has named a strong team featuring Jack Grealish and Kalvin Phillips on the South Coast.
City have won four of their five games since the restart yet there is a sense they still have some more gears to click through, particularly as they eased past Chelsea with four goals on the weekend. Victory today will set them up well for a Manchester derby in three days’ time.
Southampton are chasing a first Carabao Cup semi-final berth in six years in what has been a tumultuous season for the Saints. You can follow Southampton vs Man City live via Standard Sport’s match blog – and don’t forget the draw for the final four will take place after the game!
Live updates
Pep Guardiola discusses his selection on Sky Sports
“We are still alive in everything and we need everyone, [Phillips] can play and understand. I’ve done all through my career, I’ve used everyone. In the second half [the subs] will get some minutes. It’s a normal back four.”
Last time they met
A fairly standard 4-0 win at the Etihad back in October.
Full debut for Phillips
It seems a long time ago that Kalvin Phillips signed for Man City (because it was).
Finally, tonight he makes his first start for the club.
“He’s always ready,” said Pep Guardiola ahead of the game.
“Of course he needed time for some aspects but he’s ready and we are delighted about that.
“We have to see [if he will start] but I think he’s an intelligent player, normally holding midfielders are so clever. There are patterns and movements and you need game time.
“He arrived and had injuries which meant he couldn’t be there but step by step he will get there.”
Reinforcements for Southampton
The club have just confirmed Carlos Alcaraz’s signing from Racing of Argentina – although he will not be making his debut tonight!
A big night in the Carabao Cup
Elsewhere, Nottingham Forest host Wolves in a Midlands derby, which kicks off 15 minutes before our game.
Southampton swap out five players
Nathan Jones may have claimed an FA Cup win at Crystal Palace on the weekend but he shuffles his pack tonight.
Out go Romain Perraud, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Che Adams, Joe Aribo and Samuel Edozie.
Replacing them are Moussa Djenepo, Ibrahima Diallo, Sekou Mara, Kyle Walker-Peters and Romeo Lavia as they got to five at the back,
Four Man City changes
Joao Cancelo comes in at right-back for the visitors, moving Kyle Walker into central defence. Pep Guardiola following Gareth Southgate’s example…
Kalvin Phillips starts as Jack Grealish returns from illness and Ilkay Gundogan comes in.
Manuel Akanji, Riyad Mahrez, Rodri and Bernardo Silva drop out with City’s bench, as ever, mighty.
How Saints line up tonight
Southampton XI: Bazunu; Djenepo, Lyanco, Salisu, Caleta-Car, Walker-Peters; Lavia, Ward-Prowse, Diallo; Armstrong, Mara.
Subs: Caballero, Perraud, Finnigan, Elyounoussi, Aribo, Edozie, Orsic, Adams, Morgan.
Man City team news is in!
Man City XI: Ortega; Cancelo, Walker, Laporte, Gomez; Phillips, Gundogan, Foden; Palmer, Alvarez, Grealish.
Subs: Ederson, Ake, Haaland, Rodrigo, De Bruyne, Bernardo, Akanji, Mahrez, Lewis.
How will City line up?
Pep Guardiola teased a “ridiculous” plan for the weekend’s Manchester derby so what will that mean for this game?
He said: “The [Cup] game against Chelsea I made a lot of changes for one reason: how tired I saw some players after the game [in London], after the trip.
“We arrived too late back and in the training the day after I saw the players tired. It also depends on those who didn’t play against Chelsea.
“I would like to arrive against United with the average of minutes in the legs of the players quite similar.”
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