Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola will consider handing starts to a number of first-team stars when his side welcome Inter Milan to the Etihad Stadium for their first fixture in 2024-25 Champions League on Wednesday.
The Citizens will have to cope without long-term absentee Oscar Bobb (leg fracture) and defender Nathan Ake, who has been ruled out until after the next international break in mid-October with a muscle injury.
However, Guardiola was boosted by the return of Rodri, Savinho and Phil Foden to his matchday squad for City's 2-1 comeback victory over Brentford in the Premier League last weekend, and all three players are in contention to start against Inter.
Rodri - who scored the decisive goal in City's 1-0 win over Inter in the 2023 Champions League final - made his first appearance of the season for the Citizens when he came on as a half-time substitute versus Brentford and having trained all week, he will likely be handed a start in centre-midfield alongside either Mateo Kovacic or Ilkay Gundogan.
Savinho started against Brentford and was forced off in the closing stages with cramp, but he is fit and raring to go for Wednesday and could retain his place on the right flank, unless Guardiola decided to recall Foden or Bernardo Silva to occupy the right side of attack. Jeremy Doku and Jack Grealish, meanwhile, are set to compete for the left-wing berth.
Both Foden and Bernardo are also in contention to play centrally, either alongside or instead of Kevin De Bruyne, while few would be surprised to see goal machine Erling Haaland - who has nine goals in just four Premier League games to his name this term - lead the line once again.
In defence, Guardiola will weigh up whether to stick with Kyle Walker at right-back or move Rico Lewis over from left-back and recall Josko Gvardiol, while John Stones, Ruben Dias and Manuel Akanji will all battle for a start at centre-back.
Manchester City possible starting lineup: Ederson; Lewis, Stones, Dias, Gvardiol; Rodri, Kovacic; Bernardo, De Bruyne, Grealish; Haaland
> Click here to see how Inter Milan could line up for this contest
Oliver Thomas
