Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola should consider resting key midfielder Nico Gonzalez if he plans to shuffle his starting XI for Wednesday’s EFL Cup quarter-final against Brentford at the Etihad, according to Steven McInerney of Esteemed Kompany speaking to Sports Mole.
With Rodri and Kovacic out injured, Gonzalez has been relied on to anchor City’s midfield, starting 11 straight matches across all competitions and playing full 90 minutes in 10 of those. The 50 million pound signing from Porto struck his first goal of the season in a crucial 3-0 home win over reigning Premier League champions Liverpool last month. He’s also helped City to back-to-back clean sheets in the league, including 3-0 wins over Sunderland and Crystal Palace, with the latter victory last weekend pulling City within two points of leaders Arsenal.
City’s focus now is on reaching the EFL Cup semi-finals. While Guardiola would welcome progress, McInerney suggests the Catalan boss could ring wholesale changes to refresh the squad.
Gonzalez ‘has to be rested’ for the Brentford tie as Guardiola contemplates lineup rotations.
Speaking to Sports Mole, McInerney said: “I don’t think Guardiola will value this competition in the way many expect. I might be wrong, but with a Premier League meeting against West Ham at the weekend, he may feel he can switch it up.” He floated possibilities like Tijjani Reijnders or Phil Foden starting, but insisted Gonzalez cannot continue playing every match at 90 minutes since he’s our best option in the No. 6 role given the current injuries to Kovacic and Rodri.
He noted that City rolled out a drastically changed side in the 3-1 win over Swansea in the fourth round and warned that Brentford is unlikely to be treated any differently. “The Carabao Cup is a double-edged sword for Guardiola,” he said. “He wants to rest players while also giving minutes to those who helped them get there.”
Asked about the potential for 10 or 11 changes, as happened in a defeat to Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League, McInerney replied: “Absolutely possible. If you need to rest players while managing squad balance, you’ll see a mix. Donnarumma would need rest, while James Trafford would play, and Dias and Gvardiol would naturally be rotated due to Stones’ injury. Khusanov and Ake would likely start in central defence. Nunes could be rested, allowing Rico Lewis to feature, while Haaland is almost certain to be rested. Oscar Bobb and Savinho could get starts too, with Divine Mukasa a potential inclusion from previous rounds.”
In the midfield, McInerney suggested Reijnders alongside Lewis, or Mukasa could start, with Cherki or Foden possibly stepping in—likely Cherki given his youth and adaptation needs. He even mused about an academy midfielder—Harrison Miles—being called up, though he tempered that as unlikely.
McInerney remains confident City would beat Brentford with a strong lineup, but warned a heavy rotation could lead to penalties being required. He admitted a draw is plausible at full time if multiple changes are made, predicting a 2-2 scoreline that could tip in City’s favor on penalties. If Guardiola sticks with a more conventional side, a 3-1 City victory is within reach.
Click to hear the full discussion:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07ikzcD-Cy4
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