De Bruyne vs Grealish Dilemma for Man City’s Lineup Against Manchester United
Manchester City heads into a crucial derby against Manchester United, the first match since learning that Kevin De Bruyne will be leaving at the end of the season.
Pep Guardiola faces a tough decision: Should he opt for Jack Grealish or Kevin De Bruyne in Manchester City’s midfield when they face Manchester United?
It’s a fitting narrative that Kevin De Bruyne could orchestrate the game at Old Trafford one final time for Manchester City, perhaps with a trademark cross or a goal at the Stretford End. Even a penalty would suffice.
Before the announcement on Friday, few expected De Bruyne to be in the starting XI against United. His last start came in the FA Cup against Bournemouth, but he has been left out in key fixtures, such as against Tottenham, Real Madrid, Arsenal, and Chelsea, often being substituted early in other important matches.
In De Bruyne’s absence, Jack Grealish might retain his central role after an impressive performance against Leicester. The combination of Savinho, Grealish, and Doku behind Omar Marmoush was a bright spot in the first half, with Nico Gonzalez and Ilkay Gundogan providing support. While Leicester were subpar, it would be counterproductive to change too much after such a solid all-round performance. Bernardo Silva could also come in for Gundogan to provide more versatility, but controlling the midfield will be crucial to limiting United’s main world-class threat, Bruno Fernandes.
At the back, Guardiola has options. He could stick with his usual plan and restore Abdukodir Khusanov to the center of defense alongside Ruben Dias, while moving Josko Gvardiol to left-back. Alternatively, Guardiola could reward Nico O’Reilly with another start at left-back, keeping Gvardiol in the center.
A more risky but potentially rewarding move could be playing Khusanov at right-back, thus avoiding the dilemma between Rico Lewis and Matheus Nunes. The O’Reilly-Khusanov full-back partnership is currently in better form, but Guardiola may opt for the tried and tested, even if it brings some risk on the right.
Predicted Manchester City XI vs Manchester United:
Ederson; Lewis, Khusanov, Dias, Gvardiol; Gonzalez, Bernardo, Grealish; Doku, Savinho, Marmoush.
