West Ham vs Manchester City preview: De Bruyne and Laporte to return?

By Ric Turner, Fri 23 October 2020 17:48


West Ham vs Manchester City preview: De Bruyne and Laporte to return?Guardiola hopeful that Fernandinho could be back within a month

West Ham United vs Manchester City

Competition: F.A. Premier League

Date: 12.30pm, Saturday 24th October 2020

Venue: London Stadium, London

Referee: Anthony Taylor Assistants: G Beswick, A Nunn Fourth Official: D Coote

Odds: West Ham 7/1, Draw 17/4, City 5/12

TV: Sky Sports

West Ham

Manager: David Moyes

Squad (from): Fabianski, Martin, Randolph, Cresswell, Balbuena, Coufal, Dawson, Ogbonna, Diop, Masuaku, Cardoso, Lanzini, Snodgrass, Noble, Fornals, Soucek, Rice, Yarmolenko, Benrahma, Bowen, Haller, Antonio

Injured: None

Doubtful: Antonio, Haller

Suspended: None

Form guide: WWDWL

Manchester City

Manager: Pep Guardiola

Squad (from): Ederson, Steffen, Carson, Walker, Ake, Dias, Stones, Zinchenko, Laporte, Cancelo, Garcia, Gundogan, Rodrigo, De Bruyne, Silva, Foden, Sterling, Aguero Torres, Mahrez

Injured: Fernandinho, Mendy, Jesus

Doubtful: De Bruyne, Laporte, Zinchenko

Suspended: None

Form guide: LWDWW

City are hoping to have Kevin De Bruyne and Aymeric Laporte available again after injury, but Nathan Ake could miss out after suffering what Pep Guardiola described as "a niggle" before the mid week game against Porto.

“Some of them will be [involved],” he said at his pre-match press conference.

“Some of them, no. You will know tomorrow.”

Gabriel Jesus, Benjamin Mendy and Fernandinho are all sidelined, although the City boss was hopeful that Brazilian midfielder wouldn't be out for as long as first feared.

“The results were more optimistic so hopefully it will be shorter than one month,” added Pep.

“That's good for us. Being tough is good.”

City won their last game at the London Stadium 5-0, courtesy of a Raheem Sterling hat-trick, and golas from Gabriel Jesus and Sergio Aguero. Overall City have won 57 of the 111 games played against West Ham, with 17 draws and 37 defeats.

Predicted line-up: Ederson, Walker, Dias, Laporte, Cancelo, Rodri, De Bruyne, Silva, Mahrez, Sterling, Aguero

Score prediction: West Ham 1 City 2