Manchester City: Ederson, Lewis, Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol, Kovacic, O’Reilly, McAtee, Bobb, Doku, Haaland.
Subs: Ortega, Carson, Phillips, Ake, De Bruyne, Bernardo, Savinho, Nunes, Kabore.
Manchester United: Onana, Dalot, Maguire, Evans, Martinez, Casemiro, Mainoo, Fernandes, Mount, Amad, Rashford.
Subs: Bayindir, Collyer, Eriksen, McTominay, Pellistri, Antony, Garnacho, Sancho, Zirkzee.
Your City side at Wembley! 🩵
— Manchester City (@ManCity) August 10, 2024
XI | Ederson, Lewis, Akanji, Dias (C), Gvardiol, Kovacic, O’Reilly, McAtee, Bobb, Doku, Haaland
SUBS | Ortega Moreno, Carson, Phillips, Ake, De Bruyne, Bernardo, Savinho, Nunes, Kabore#ManCity | @etihad pic.twitter.com/TMSuFfhOuL
In the red corner at Wembley... 🔴🥊#MUFC || #CommunityShield
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) August 10, 2024
Ederson missed last weekend’s friendly with a reported “niggle”, although a cynic could be forgiven for thinking he was being wrapped in cotton wool ahead of a potential move to Saudi Arabia.
John Stones, Kyle Walker, Phil Foden and Rodri are all unavailable for selection as they are still on holiday after going all the way to the final of Euro 2024. Kevin De Bruyne, Jeremy Doku, Ruben Dias, Matheus Nunes, and Bernardo Silva all returned to training this week and could play this afternoon.
Erling Haaland, who had no international obligations this summer and is fully rested, is expected to start and comes into this game on the back of a hat-trick he scored in a friendly against Chelsea last weekend. Signed from Troyes this summer, the Brazilian winger Savio may also start today. His Argentinian counterpart Julian Alvarez will not be playing for City today because he is on the verge of completing his surprise £81.5m move to Atletico Madrid.
Manchester United’s new signing Leny Yoro is out for three months with a fractured metatarsal, while Tyrell Malacia remains unavailable after missing the entirety of last season with a knee injury.
Elsewhere in the United defence, there are concerns over the availability of Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Luke Shaw. Lisandro Martinez could feature for some or all of today’s game, despite having only reported back from Copa Ameria duty with Argentina on Monday morning.
Despite not having featured in Manchester United’s pre-season preparations as he’s been trying to have another holiday after his late call-up from Disney World to the Netherlands Euro 2024 squad, Joshua Kirkzee could make his United debut today in the absence of Rasmus Hojlund, who is sidelined with a hamstring injury. A £42.5m signing from Bologna, Zirkzee is United’s only fit centre-forward.
Welcome back. In a repeat of the FA Cup final played at Wembley in May, Manchester United and Manchester City reconvene at FA HQ for the traditonal season curtain-raiser ahead of next weekend’s first round of Premier League fixtures.
Erik ten Hag’s side were the surprise winner of the FA Cup when last time these sides met but comparatively little at stake in this glorified friendly, the odds seem stacked against them again this afternoon, due in no small part to something of a pre-season injury crisis.
Kick-off at Wembley between these Mancunian rivals is at 3pm (BST) but we’ll have team news and build-up in the meantime.