Man Cityvs.Newcastle

The 23-year-old winter-window signing from Porto picked up an injury on his Citizens debut against Leyton Orient in the FA Cup last weekend before watching on as an unused substitute for City's 3-2 home defeat to Real Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Gonzalez subsequently entered today's contest with Newcastle as a doubt, but Pep Guardiola has named the Spaniard in his starting lineup and has made a total of six changes to the side that began against Real Madrid.

Fellow new addition Abdukodir Khusanov is handed his first Premier League start since his difficult debut against Chelsea last month. Rico Lewis is also recalled and the pair will join John Stones - who started in midfield against Real Madrid - and Josko Gvardiol in the back four.

Gonzalez will be joined in midfield by Ilkay Gundogan, while Phil Foden and Omar Marmoush are also recalled and will start in the final third with Savinho and central striker Erling Haaland, who will wear the captain's armband for Man City.

Manuel Akanji and Jack Grealish are not involved this afternoon after picking up injuries in midweek, the former of whom is ruled out for up to 10 weeks with an adductor issue that requires surgery, while Ruben Dias, Nathan Ake, Bernardo Silva and Kevin De Bruyne all drop down to the substitutes' bench.

Gordon, Burn fit to start for Newcastle

As for Newcastle, Eddie Howe has made a total of eight changes to the side that beat Birmingham City 3-2 in the FA Cup fourth round last weekend.

The headline news for the Magpies is that both Anthony Gordon and Dan Burn have been passed fit to start; the former was not involved against Birmingham due to a thigh problem, while the latter was forced off in that match with a groin issue.

Burn will partner Fabian Schar in central defence, while Kieran Trippier is preferred at right-back to Valentino Livramento as Lewis Hall is recalled at left-back. Goalkeeper Martin Dubravka, meanwhile, also returns at the expense of Nick Pope.

Bruno Guimaraes unsurprisingly retains his place in centre-midfield and will link arms with Sandro Tonali and Joe Willock, the latter starting as a result of Joelinton remaining sidelined through injury.

Gordon will once again line up in attack alongside Jacob Murphy and in-form striker Alexander Isak, who is bidding to score his first goal at the Etihad at the fourth time of asking.

Manchester City starting lineup: Ederson; Lewis, Khusanov, Stones, Gvardiol; Gonzalez, Gundogan; Foden, Marmoush, Savinho; Haaland

Subs: Ortega, Kovacic, Doku, De Bruyne, Bernardo, Reis, Nunes, O'Reilly, McAtee

Newcastle United starting lineup: Dubravka; Trippier, Schar, Burn, Hall; Tonali, Guimaraes, Willock; Murphy, Isak, Gordon

Subs: Pope, Targett, Krafth, Livramento, Barnes, Miley, Wilson, Osula

Written by

Oliver Thomas