Simpson-Pusey starts with Walker dropped

Pep Guardiola will get a close look at soon-to-be Manchester rival Ruben Amorim tonight when City visit Sporting CP in the Champions League.

Amorim will take over at Manchester United on November 11 but he will hope to add to Guardiola’s recent misery with a win at the Jose Alvalade first.

City have lost their last two games, against Tottenham in the EFL Cup and Bournemouth in the Premier League on Saturday. They have looked impressive in Europe though, following up an opening-night goalless draw at home to Inter with resounding wins over Slovan Bratislava and Sparta Prague.

Sporting have a 100 per cent record in the domestic Primeira Liga and they are near-perfect in the Champions League as well.

Amorim’s men have taken seven points from games with Lille (2-0), PSV (1-1) and Sturm Graz (2-0).

Sporting CP Team News

Amorim makes two changes to the side that beat Estrela on Friday night with Matheus Reis and Hidemasa Morita coming into the starting XI.

Former Coventry striker Viktor Gyokores is the hosts’ danger man.

Sporting: Israel, Debast, Diomande, Matheus Reis, Geovany Quenda, Hjulmand, Morita, Araujo, Trincao, Gyokeres, Gonclaves

Os Leões 👥 titulares no jogo de hoje! #SCPMCI #UCL pic.twitter.com/pqMe1ZoAYX

— Sporting CP (@SportingCP) November 5, 2024

Manchester Team News

The headline news for City is the inclusion of 19-year-old defender Jahmai Simpson-Pusey.

Nathan Ake starts on the bench with Ruben Dias not involved at all.

Kyle Walker is dropped after a poor display at Bournemouth with Rico Lewis slotting in at right-back.

Savinho comes in for Ilkay Gundogan.

Manchester City: Ederson, Lewis, Simpson-Pusey, Akanji, Gvardiol, Kovacic, Bernardo, Savinho, Foden, Nunes, Haaland

Your City line-up in Lisbon! 🩵

XI | Ederson, Lewis, Simpson-Pusey, Akanji, Gvardiol, Kovacic, Bernardo (C), Savinho, Foden, Nunes, Haaland

SUBS | Ortega Moreno, Carson, Walker, Ake, Doku, De Bruyne, Gundogan, Wright, O’Reilly, McAtee, Wilson-Esbrand#ManCity | #UCL pic.twitter.com/vuuzxNkMe3

— Manchester City (@ManCity) November 5, 2024