Manchester City have one of the biggest and best squads in world football, so we take a look at just how strong a possible Man City 2nd XI could be.
Leroy Sane, who could cost up to £46.5m, makes our Man City 2nd XI
Football, particularly at the highest level, is a squad game nowadays. But few can boast a squad with as much talent and depth as that of Manchester City’s.
Pep Guardiola’s arrival this summer saw an outlay of £150 million in the transfer market, roughly the same as the season before under Manuel Pellegrini.
When you are splashing that kind of cash, you expect quality, and Manchester City do have some genuinely quality players. The likes of Sergio Aguero and Kevin De Bruyne could walk into almost any team on the planet.
Sergio Aguero is arguably Manchester City’s best player
If you take Manchester City’s early season starting XI as Pep Guardiola’s rough idea of his best XI, and throw in the currently injured Vincent Kompany and new recruit Claudio Bravo, we believe you get a good idea of the Spaniard’s first XI.
This leaves 11 hugely talented senior players remaining who can make a superb second string, showing Man City have a quality back up for every position on the pitch. Here is our Manchester City 2nd XI:
Goalkeeper: Willy Caballero
With Joe Hart having joined Torino on-loan and Claudio Bravo the clear first choice, Willy Caballero is without doubt Manchester City’s number 2.
The Argentine has played 21 games in two seasons at the Etihad, and will once again be ready to come into the team whenever he is required this season.
Right Back: Bacary Sagna
Manchester City’s Bacary Sagna in action against Real Madrid
With Pablo Zabaleta appearing to be Pep Guardiola’s first choice at right back, Bacary Sagna makes a highly capable backup.
The former Arsenal defender is 33 now and enormously experienced, he has been named in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year twice.
Centre-Back: Nicolas Otamendi
A controversial choice perhaps, but once Vincent Kompany is back fit, Pep Guardiola will have to leave out one of Otamendi, Kompany and Stones you would have thought.
With Stones having made an impressive start to his Man City career and being very much a Guardiola player, Otamendi could be the most likely to drop out.
Centre-Back: Fernando
Joe Hart, Fabian Delph, Gael Clichy, Jesus Navas and Fernando sat on the Man City bench
Without a second backup central defender, a Man City 2nd XI would have to turn to defensive midfielder Fernando.
That is no problem though, the Brazilian has been deputised their before and his love of defending means he can be highly effective there.
Left Back: Kolarov
Splitting Gael Clichy and Kolarov is not easily done, but Pep Guardiola may be edging towards the Frenchman, which is why we’ve opted for Kolarov in our second string.
The big Serbian with a thunderbolt of a left foot has been at Manchester City for six years now, and played over 200 games for the club in that time.
Central Midfield: Yaya Toure
Yaya Toure appears to be out-of-favour under Guardiola at Man City
There doesn’t seem to be much love between Pep Guardiola and Yaya Toure, as many people expected, and the Ivorians agent says the player will sign a pre-contract agreement with another club in January.
Despite a bitter ending, Yaya Toure has been a fantastic servant to Manchester City, and crucial to their FA Cup success in 2011, as well as their two Premier League titles which followed.
Central Midfield: Fabian Delph
England international Fabian Delph is fighting hard for a place in the Manchester City starting XI, but dislodging Fernandinho, De Bruyne or Silva is an inevitably tough task.
A very able backup, Delph was a key man at Aston Villa, and his high work rate and tenacity to win the ball back is likely to be appreciated by the new Man City manager.
Central Midfield: Ilkay Gundogan
Ilkay Gundogan celebrates after scoring a penalty for Borussia Dortmund
A summer arrival from Borussia Dortmund, German international Ilkay Gundogan is a class act, who Manchester City fans will be looking forward to seeing once he is back fit.
Gundogan could make his return for the Manchester derby, though he is unlikely to start. A highly intelligent footballer with incisive passing abilities, Gundogan should fit perfectly into Guardiola’s Man City team.
Left Wing: Leroy Sane
Raheem Sterling’s fine early season form means it will be difficult for anyone to take his place in the team anytime soon.
Former Schalke man Sane is capable of playing on either the left or right wing, and could cost Man City as much as £46.5 million once add-ons kick in, having spent an initial £37 million on the player.
Right Wing: Jesus Navas
Jesus Navas in action for Manchester City against West Brom
There seems to be not much to split Jesus Navas and Nolito, with Guardiola liking both Spanish wingers equally, but giving Nolito the nod in Man City’s most recent fixtures.
Navas has sensational pace, but his final ball has always been questioned since joining the Premier League, if Guardiola can rectify that, he could be a seriously dangerous player.
Striker: Kelechi Iheanacho
Prolific young forward Kelechi Iheanacho turns 20 in October and should see plenty of first team action once again this season, with Sergio Aguero being the only other out-and-out striker in the Man City squad.
Iheanacho scored 14 goals in 35 appearances last season, although the majority of those appearances were off the bench, making his stats even more impressive.
Full Manchester City Second XI:
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