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The first Manchester derby of the season is upon us as Man City and Man Utd prepare to do battle at Old Trafford. Six points currently separate the two clubs in the Premier League table which makes this a really important derby with United desperately trying to stay in touch with the early frontrunners in the Premier League and City looking to cut their rivals adrift. The match is set to kick off at 15:30 UK time and will be shown live on Sky Sports.

Man City predicted lineup vs Man United
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Man United vs Man City Premier League team news
Pep Guardiola may not have a complete clean bill of health in his matchday squad for this derby but things are looking more promising than they were a couple of weeks ago. John Stones, who is so integral to Guardiola’s system at City, is fully fit again and Rodri has returned from suspension to provide better composure in the middle of the park.
Although Stones and Rodri will be back in the starting eleven, Guardiola does have a couple of absentees for the visit across the city. Manuel Akanji was sent off against Brighton last weekend and will therefore miss out due to suspension while Kevin de Bruyne remains sidelined with a serious hamstring injury. Despite this, their squad situation makes their predicted lineup stronger than Man United’s.
Most of Guardiola’s eleven will pick itself but he does have a big decision to make on the left wing. Jeremy Doku was electrifying against Brighton and could cause Diogo Dalot a world of problems, however, the City boss may be tempted to start Jack Grealish instead due to his experience and ball retention skills.
Man City predicted lineup
Ederson – Walker, Stones, Dias, Gvardiol – Rodri, Bernardo Silva – Doku, Alvarez, Foden – Haaland

Man City predicted lineup vs Man United – Our top three
Erling Haaland – In need of a big-match goal
Erling Haaland had a phenomenal debut season at Manchester City, scoring 52 goals in 53 games in all competitions. The Norweigan’s form has firmly put him in the race for the 2023 Ballon d’Or but there is still one blemish next to his name and that is his record away from home in big matches.
Last season, Haaland failed to score in matches at Old Trafford, Anfield, Stamford Bridge and the Tottenham Hotspur stadium meaning he blanked in four of City’s five away games against the Premier League’s “big six”. The ex-Borussia Dortmund will be keen to silence those critics on Sunday with a big performance so he is certainly one to watch at Old Trafford.

Jeremy Doku – Ace in the pack
Jeremy Doku has provided a whole new dimension to the Man City forward line this season. In recent years, Guardiola’s side have been efficient rather than entertaining but the Belgian winger has flipped that on its head. Doku’s first intention every time he gets the ball is to run at his fullback, something that has seemingly been coached out of Jack Grealish. If Doku plays on Sunday, then expect fireworks.

Rodri – The conductor
If there were any doubters about Rodri’s importance to Manchester City then the Blues’ form during his three-match absence recently will have silenced them. Everything City do in their build-up goes through the Spaniard while he is also an expert at putting out fires in transition. City lost all three games without Rodri earlier this month but they will always feel confident of winning with him in the team.

Will Jack Grealish play against Man United?
Jack Grealish has found himself out of favour this season and has failed to impress in the minutes he has had on the pitch. Jeremy Doku is currently excelling on the left wing so it would be a surprise if Guardiola went with the ex-Aston Villa man from the start on Sunday.
Man City predicted lineup vs Man United – The final word
The recent head-to-head record between the two clubs suggests that Man City will run out as winners on Sunday and it’s hard to look past that. The Blues are back to being close to full strength while United are still ravaged by defensive and midfield injuries. We are going for a comfortable 3-1 win for Man City.
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