Manchester City will aim to recover from a disappointing defeat against Celtic as they prepare to face AC Milan in a high-profile preseason friendly at Yankee Stadium in New York on Saturday at 11pm (UK time).
Manchester City vs. AC Milan Team News:
Manchester City, having fielded a youthful side in their first friendly against Celtic, are expected to continue with a similar approach against AC Milan. Many of City's senior players are still recovering from a busy international summer, which includes participation in Euro 2024 and Copa America. Ederson, who has been linked with a move away, is unlikely to feature after coming off the bench against Celtic. Kalvin Phillips, also rumored to be on the move, played the first half against Celtic but was substituted as he continues to regain fitness from injury issues.
For AC Milan, new head coach Paolo Fonseca, who joined the club last month following stints at Porto, Roma, and Lille, will be leading his team in this challenging friendly. Fonseca's debut match resulted in a 1-1 draw against Rapid Vienna, and his upcoming fixtures include matches against Manchester City, Real Madrid, and Barcelona. Key Milan players like Mike Maignan, Theo Hernandez, and Tijjani Reijnders are expected to miss the game, while new signing Alvaro Morata will also be absent following Spain's triumph at Euro 2024.
Projected Lineups:
Manchester City (4-3-3): Ortega; Lewis, Doyle, Mbete, Wilson-Esbrand; Phillips, Susoho; Bobb, McAtee, Grealish; Haaland.
AC Milan (4-2-3-1): Sportiello; Calabria; Tomori, Thiaw, Terracciano; Bennacer, Loftus-Cheek; Chukweze, Maldini, Saelemaekers; Colombo.
Guardiola's Reflections:
Pep Guardiola, despite the defeat to Celtic, took a positive stance on the performance of his team. He praised the contributions of both new and existing players, highlighting the challenges of integrating many young academy graduates into a competitive environment. Guardiola noted, “I saw many good things from the new and old players. It wasn’t easy, we have senior players up front and the back four eight or nine who are so young.”
Oscar Bobb, who scored Manchester City's only goal in the 4-1 loss to Celtic, was one of the standout performers. Guardiola emphasized the importance of preseason games as crucial for building towards the new season. “Many things I saw were nice. We created chances, but they are so good with the pace and quality they have. You have to experience these situations in pre-season and we’ll use it from here,” Guardiola stated.
With a significant number of academy graduates featuring prominently in the match against Celtic, Guardiola is using this preseason to evaluate his squad’s readiness and adaptability, setting the stage for what promises to be an exciting new season for the defending Premier League champions.
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