Phil Foden will be absent for Manchester City’s Premier League clash against West Ham at the London Stadium.
It appears Pep Guardiola will once again have to manage without Phil Foden as Manchester City faces West Ham. Foden, who missed the victory over Ipswich last week, will be allowed more time to recover, casting doubt on his availability for England during the international break. Guardiola explained, “He played 45 minutes against Chelsea and afterward didn’t feel good. We conducted tests; he’s improving but not fully fit, so we prefer to give him time to recover after the international break and be ready for the next games.”
Meanwhile, Mateo Kovacic is expected to be fit after an issue that forced him off against Ipswich, and Rodri has ramped up his training after a late return to City following his Euro 2024 duties.
Savinho, Jeremy Doku, and Erling Haaland are likely to keep their spots in the starting XI, while Rico Lewis seems to be the favored option over Kyle Walker, who hasn’t yet played this season.
Here’s how our writers think City should line up, and you can use the interactive team selector to pick your own starting XI:
Simon Bajkowski:
There’s a case to be made for sticking with the same lineup that has performed so well in the first two games, although West Ham away has often been a challenging fixture for City under Guardiola. Given their past struggles with West Ham’s direct and fast-paced counter-attacks at the London Stadium, starting Jack Grealish could help City maintain better control and reduce the risk of being caught on the break.
With the international break approaching, John Stones is expected to play both games, as he rarely misses an England match. City might as well get the most out of his availability by starting him now, while Manu Akanji can maintain his fitness with Switzerland over the next couple of weeks.
Savinho might have the edge over Jeremy Doku based on the first two performances, though Doku was brilliant at the London Stadium last season and could still make an impact. Although Kyle Walker is eager to return, Rico Lewis has been excellent. If Kovacic is still feeling the effects of his injury from the Ipswich game, Ilkay Gundogan could step in.
Joe Bray:
It might not be the most exciting choice, but I’d stick with the same team that’s won their first two games. There are reasons to give Stones and Nathan Ake some playing time, but it’s tough to decide who would make way for them. The main question is whether Kovacic is fully recovered from his knock last week, though Guardiola didn’t seem too worried on Friday, and the Croatian has trained all week.
If Kovacic isn’t available, Stones could move into midfield, as he did in the second half against Ipswich, although facing West Ham at the London Stadium is a different challenge compared to leading Ipswich 3-1.
Grealish and Walker will need to be patient with an unchanged lineup. Doku dominated West Ham last season and will aim to do the same, while Savinho might look at Doku and Haaland, who made early statements in their City careers with standout performances at the London Stadium in recent seasons.
