Manchester City will face AC Milan at the iconic Yankee Stadium in their second pre-season friendly in the USA. Pep Guardiola’s confirmation that Ederson might still leave Manchester City this summer adds intrigue to whether the goalkeeper will reclaim his spot for this match.
Ederson, who missed the end of last season due to injury, saw Stefan Ortega step up impressively and earn a new contract. Although City has affirmed Ederson as their number one, Ortega started the first pre-season friendly against Celtic in North Carolina. Despite Celtic scoring three goals in the first half, Ortega was not at fault, and Ederson took over in the second half. Another friendly could reveal Guardiola’s goalkeeping strategy for the upcoming season.
Josko Gvardiol has joined the squad after arriving from the UK on Wednesday. While he may not start due to limited training, the defense could remain similar to the Celtic game. Jahmai Simpson-Pusey might be replaced by Callum Doyle against Milan’s more experienced attackers.
Guardiola has expressed a preference to play Rico Lewis in midfield but may continue using him at right-back due to the young group of defenders on tour. Mateo Kovacic is in a similar situation as Gvardiol, but Kalvin Phillips’ performance against Celtic might earn him another start. Both Mahamadou Susoho and Maximo Perrone showed promise in the second half, and there’s a case for starting them in midfield over Phillips.
Youngster Nico O’Reilly received praise from Guardiola, but Perrone could offer more experience. James McAtee, after a solid performance, will look to influence the attack further. Jack Grealish, Oscar Bobb, and Erling Haaland are expected to round out the lineup, with Kovacic and Gvardiol likely coming off the bench in the second half.
Predicted Man City XI vs AC Milan: Ortega; Lewis, Doyle, Mbete, Wilson-Esbrand; Susoho, McAtee, Perrone, Bobb, Grealish, Haaland.
