Dugout Discussion

City players missing with COVID-19 revealed as fit-again Ziyech returns

A Manchester City squad hit by injury and illness take on Chelsea in the second of today’s two Premier League fixtures.

Kick-off at Stamford Bridge is at 16:30 GMT.

The visitors are missing six of their squad because of COVID-19 positive tests.

The unavailability of Kyle Walker (£6.1m) and Gabriel Jesus (£9.1m) we were already aware of, while social media posts from Ederson (£6.0m) and Tommy Doyle (£4.4m) all but confirmed that they too were among those self-isolating.

Ferran Torres (£6.9m) and Eric Garcia (£4.7m) have reportedly been added to that list, with the latter still struggling with injury, too.

Despite the shortage of options, Sergio Aguero (£10.3m) is still only among the substitutes for this afternoon’s fixture.

Goalkeeper Zack Steffen (£4.4m) makes his Premier League debut as Pep Guardiola makes three changes to the City side that beat Newcastle 2-0 in Gameweek 15.

Oleksandr Zinchenko (£5.5m) and Phil Foden (£6.2m) are also recalled, with Ederson, Torres and Nathan Ake (£5.4m) dropping out.

Ake is absent because of “fitness issues”, while Aymeric Laporte (£6.0m) misses out because of a tight hamstring.

Benjamin Mendy (£5.9m) is on the bench, despite his off-field misdeeds.

Frank Lampard makes five changes to the Chelsea team that drew 1-1 at home to Aston Villa last Monday.

Timo Werner (£9.2m) is recalled, while Hakim Ziyech (£8.1m) makes his first appearance since suffering a hamstring injury in early December.

Thiago Silva (£5.6m), Kurt Zouma (£5.8m) and Mateo Kovacic (£5.3m) also return to the side.

Reece James (£5.2m) is again absent through injury, while Olivier Giroud (£6.7m), Andreas Christensen (£4.7m), Antonio Rudiger (£4.7m), Callum Hudson-Odoi (£5.7m) and Jorginho (£4.7m) drop out of the starting XI.


Chelsea XI: Mendy, Azpilicueta, Zouma, Thiago Silva, Chilwell, Kanté, Kovacic, Mount, Pulisic, Werner, Ziyech.

Manchester City XI: Steffen, Cancelo, Dias, Stones, Zinchenko, Rodrigo, Gundogan, De Bruyne, Foden, Bernardo, Sterling

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2,436 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Paqueta Rice
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Kdb won’t play at Stamford Bridge every gw

  2. Leonard hatred
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    "KDB is terrible, get him out of my team, worst footballer i the world...

    Eh? what?? he did?

    KDB is essential. never lost the faith. only casuals transferred him out."

    --FFS

  3. Qaiss
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    De bruyyyyneee

  4. CheesyZoot
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Been begging for a KDB haul for weeks now...

    Finally had to happen against my team 🙁

  5. F_Ivanovic
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    This is why I kept KDB all this time... the easy fixture of Chelsea was still to come 😀

  6. Hazz
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    KDB/Brewster > Vardy/Soucek would have been okay had I not benched Soucek

    (and had it not been before the DGW announcement!)

  7. Nightcrawler
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Who else has

    KDB
    Salah
    Bruno
    Son
    Kane

    AHHHHHHHH

    1. fedolefan
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      That would be me.

    2. SAKA AND EMILE SMITH ROWE
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      First 4 but not Kane

    3. Feanor
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Weird how there's no team in your profile.

      1. Nightcrawler
        • 4 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Why is that weird

        1. Nightcrawler
          • 4 Years
          3 years, 2 months ago

          Still better than linking someone else's team

    4. DA Minnion (Former great)
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      No son

    5. just a man
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      No Kane for me. That Kevin goal might send me into top 5k. Surprising differential.

    6. Bushwhacker
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      No Son sadly ..

    7. Hazard_18
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      No Son for me

    8. Kane and Ablett
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      The same except Soucek for KDB

    9. Benjustjamin
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Got them all, buzzing its eventually paid off 😎

  8. Top Lad Dakes.
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Gonna outscore my captain Son but idc, almost a differential to own at this point

  9. Reeker
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    So hard to get KDB back in.

  10. Feanor
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Take KDB off at halftime to rest.

  11. TyroneGAA
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Dias cancelo kdb here .. please keep the clean sheet

  12. Royal5
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Chelsea look dreadful

  13. Cantona's Kung Fu Kick
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    chel look like sheff united

  14. Baps hunter
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    KdB to C Son fail.

  15. Drogo
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Finally some points coming my way. KDB GET INNN!

  16. Woy_is_back
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    kdb kdb kdb

  17. pundit of punts
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Just need a KDB assist for 100 points now

    Please please

  18. KAALI_DAAL
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    KDB saving my GW

  19. McSauce
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    KDB TC19 incoming

    1. THFC4LIFE
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Yep

  20. Qaiss
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    So all you Bruno captainers still sticking with that decision for next week?

  21. Make United Great Again
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Your patience with KDB didn’t pay off. You lost points in the process.

    1. Mr. O'Connell
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Depends how many points he scores today

  22. Plagued by indecision
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    KDB, why couldn’t you have done this when I bought you on the wildcard?

  23. Naby K8a
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Lampard's managerial highlights:
    - 6th place: Derby
    - Spent a lot of money
    - Shouted at Klopp once

    1. Do I Not Like Orange
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Cried over Bielsa spying on his crap tactics.

  24. Top Lad Dakes.
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    KDB probably owned by a lot of dead teams too. Wonder what his live player ownership is

    1. Lord.
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Hopefully just me.

  25. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    City’s title.

    Backline is well set and the goals were always going to come back flowing...

  26. Right In The Stanchion
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    If this ends 0-7 Frank will get the sack

  27. Flair
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Azpi is very poor

  28. Steve McCroskey
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    I have Stones, Dias and KDB. If Man City keep a cleanie I will wet my pants

    1. La Roja
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      lol

  29. Kane and Ablett
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    My 6-0 prediction is on , I just got the scorers wrong, what a fool for not believing in the KDBandwagon. Chelsea have been a shambles for weeks

    1. BeaversWithAttitude
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Not much of a bandwagon, KDB dropped in price.

  30. Mr. O'Connell
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    How has Rodri not been booked yet?