Phil Foden could get surprise Man City role vs Newcastle if Pep Guardiola rests key players

Highlights ahead of Manchester City’s Carabao Cup third round match against Newcastle on Wednesday.

Where are all the captains?

Pep Guardiola said Kyle Walker and Ruben Dias should be rested due to their workload, while Bernardo Silva is still out with Kevin De Bruyne. With Rodri suspended, this could see all five newly elected members of Manchester City’s board removed from the starting lineup at Newcastle.

So who will wear the captain’s armband in a situation we may not have expected so early in the season?In terms of longevity, Ederson is the second most senior player but he will likely be rested to replace goalkeeper Stefan Ortega. After that, Phil Foden is the player who has been in the first team the longest, going back to 2017. Will Wednesday be the first time Foden wears the Man City captaincy?

Guardiola said on Friday he would give Dias a chance to recover, otherwise he “will have to find someone” to be captain. Other options would be Nathan Ake or Manu Akanji – both of whom have captained the team before – while Mateo Kovacic has leadership qualities should he return.With a young squad about to be named, there will be few candidates to lead the team if Walker and Dias are sidelined. Foden would be a popular choice and this could be the first of many times he steps down as City captain if that is a role he can take on later in his career.

Man City’s quadruple hopes are at stake

Guardiola’s injury list will take precedence over a good Carabao Cup performance against Newcastle, with key players rested and others the other person is not at risk during the return period of absence. Dias and Walker seem unlikely to feature at least from the start, while Erling Haaland has missed just 11 minutes of action so far this season and could therefore also benefit from a night rest. In their place, the players and youngsters will join a much-changed City side.

That is of course necessary but will affect Man City’s chances against Newcastle, especially in the difficult atmosphere at St. James’ Park. City have used the Carabao Cup to create a winning culture and learn how to progress through knockout competitions – something Newcastle will be stronger at as last year’s finalists look to establish themselves in the top four. Building on their latest appearance by knocking out City will be something Eddie Howe’s side will relish.

If City lose, their hopes of improving on their treble – by winning a quadruple – will be dashed in September.Guardiola has told his players to stop thinking about winning trophies at the start of the season, although some of his players have expressed a desire to win all four trophies on offer this season. When City won four consecutive Carabao Cups, they did so by being strong from the early rounds, but they simply don’t have that luxury this season.

Who replaces Rodri?

Rodri’s red card was probably the last thing City needed with all the injuries to their midfield, but the usually calm Spaniard raised his hand to Morgan Gibbs-White on Saturday and here they are. Rodri will miss the next three domestic matches, with Kalvin Phillips a reasonable replacement, at least in the Carabao Cup.

Phillips said he had been waiting for a moment like this after a difficult first year at City and admitted those three games were “the most important of his City career”. If he wants to have a chance of starting against Wolves and Arsenal, he must show his qualities against Newcastle in his most important game in a Man City shirt to date.

Kovacic could return to support, while Matheus Nunes has played very well so far. Rico Lewis can support Phillips in midfield if selected as a deeper defender, and Akanji improves his ability to push forward from centre-back. All eyes will be on Phillips – but it will be a collective effort to cover the area that Rodri usually does.

Alvarez as #9

Julian Alvarez shows off his #9 qualities.10 so far this season, with four goals and four assists in eight matches. He shined in this role behind Haaland, supported by Foden from behind the scenes and was described by his manager as “almost unstoppable”. He then scored twice against Red Star to cement his importance.

Sacrificed in the second half against Forest after Rodri’s red card, Alvarez could be selected as Newcastle’s only striker, provided Haaland is rested. That will also be a reward for Alvarez when he can play in his favorite position and promote his early season form.

Haaland has not been criticized this season but has missed more opportunities than usual. His goals-per-match record allays any concerns, but it’s fair to say that Alvarez is currently a striker in good form. Free to play alone in attack, the Argentine has the opportunity to add to his goal collection at St. James’ Park – he scored against Newcastle this season.

Avoid repeating Southampton

There are many similarities with the quarter-final match against Southampton last season, when Man City made significant changes and created the worst match under Guardiola’s reign, as coach today Friday. Phillips made his first start of the season, Ortega started while Sergio Gomez and Alvarez were given more responsibility. Expect a similar feel to the team that faced Newcastle, with Lewis, Nunes and Jeremy Doku set to start, while Oscar Bobb could also make his official debut.

City that night was disjointed, complacent and lackluster from start to finish. A few days later, Guardiola publicly criticized the players’ attitude in their quest for trophies. He sees no such motivation problems this season and has challenged his players this week not to let him repeat his failure at Southampton.

Those players who step up will need to show how far they have come since that Southampton game and give the manager confidence that they are ready to support the first team with creditable performances when called upon summon.