Pep Guardiola has confirmed he will make significant changes to his Manchester City side for Wednesday's Carabao Cup quarter-final clash with Brentford at the Etihad Stadium.
Fixture Pile-Up Forces Rotation
The match comes just 72 hours after City's hard-fought 3-0 Premier League win at Crystal Palace, a result that keeps the pressure on leaders Arsenal. Guardiola's squad faces a relentless schedule, with five more league fixtures packed between December 20 and January 7.
With the title race poised to intensify in the new year, the manager views the visit of the Bees as a crucial opportunity for rest and rotation. The situation is compounded by the imminent departure of Rayan Ait-Nouri and Omar Marmoush for the Africa Cup of Nations, representing Algeria and Egypt respectively.
Youth and Inexperience to Get a Chance
"We've lost now Rayan and Omar," Guardiola stated. "We have some injuries, like John Stones and Jeremy Doku. The players that didn't play recently are going to play. Some from the academy will play."
He emphasised the balance between competition and squad management: "I'm not saying it's not a priority getting to the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup, but normally when we achieve it it's when we have all the squad, no injuries."
Despite the planned changes, Guardiola insisted the chance to reach the last four is not being taken lightly. "If you're one game away from a semi-final, if you can take it, take it," he said. "You never know when it's coming back to you."
Learning from Past Mistakes
The spectre of a recent 2-0 home defeat to Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League, where Guardiola also fielded a changed side, looms large. Players like Abdukodir Khusanov, Rico Lewis, and Oscar Bobb, who started that night, are likely to feature again against Brentford.
Reflecting on that loss, Guardiola pointed to a lack of experience rather than quality. "In the Leverkusen game we missed a father figure on the pitch," he explained. "It's about being safe. Some players, it's a process, they are young, not playing much."
In positive news, goalkeeper James Trafford is set to start and will definitely remain at the club in January. However, injuries persist: Jeremy Doku is expected to be sidelined for two to three weeks, potentially returning in the New Year, while John Stones remains unavailable.
Manchester City, who won the Carabao Cup four consecutive times between 2018 and 2021, have not reached the final since their last triumph.
