Crisis time for Manchester City as key player joins injured trio on the sidelines - originally posted on Sportslens.com
Manchester City open their Champions League campaign on Wednesday with a tricky-looking test at Shakhtar Donetsk.
City head into the game on the back of their shock 3-2 defeat at Norwich City in the Premier League last Saturday that left them five points adrift of leaders Liverpool.
Manager Pep Guardiola has been dealt a major blow, with John Stones ruled out for 4-5 weeks with a muscular injury.
He joins Aymeric Laporte, Benjamin Mendy and Phil Foden on the sidelines.
Joao Cancelo may be preferred to Kyle Walker at full-back, while Fernandinho is expected to replace Ilkay Gundogan in midfield.
Kevin De Bruyne should be back in the starting XI after being picked amongst the substitutes at Carrow Road.
The two sides met in last season’s group stage, with City winning 3-0 away from home and 6-0 at the Etihad Stadium.
Predicted starting line-ups:
Shakhtar: Pyatov, Bolbat, Krivtsov, Matviyenko, Ismaily, Stepanenko, Alan, Konoplyanka, Marlos, Taison, Moraes.
Man City: Ederson, Joao Cancelo, Walker, Otamendi, Zinchenko, Rodri, Fernandinho, De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Aguero, Sterling.
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