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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Sport
Theo Squires

Kevin de Bruyne named on Man City bench as Pep Guardiola rotates for Liverpool semi-final

Kevin De Bruyne was left out of Man City’s starting XI for their FA Cup semi-final clash with Liverpool after failing to fully recover after limping off injured against Atletico Madrid in midweek.

Pep Guardiola made seven changes to his side that drew in the Champions League quarter-finals, with the injured Kyle Walker missing out altogether.

Zack Steffen started in goal in place of the benched Ederson, with Nathan Ake and Oleksandr Zinchenko coming into the defence alongside John Stones and Joao Cancelo. Ruben Dias and Aymeric Laporte were both named on the bench along with Rodri, with Fernandinho starting and captaining City despite announcing his decision to leave the club at the end of his contract this summer.

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Meanwhile, Jack Grealish, Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling also all came into the starting XI, lining up to form Guardiola’s front three, with Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva making up their midfield trio.

Ilkay Gundogan and Riyad Mahrez were also named on an experienced bench, alongside Ederson, Dias, Laporte, Rodri and De Bruyne, with youngsters Liam Delap and Romeo Lavia making up their full 20-man matchday squad.

Man City starting XI: Steffen; Cancelo, Stones, Ake, Zinchenko; Fernandinho (C), Bernardo, Foden; Grealish, Jesus, Sterling.

Subs: Ederson, Dias, Gundogan, Laporte, Rodri, De Bruyne, Mahrez, Delap, Lavia.

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