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Manchester City fans on X (formerly Twitter) are fearing the worst after Erling Haaland and Jeremy Doku were excluded from the starting XI to face Luton Town due to injuries. The Cityzens are set to face Luton in the Premier League at Kenilworth Road later today (Sunday, December 10).
The 2022-23 treble winners have failed to win any of their last four league games, having drawn three in a row before most recently losing 1-0 to Aston Villa. They have fallen to fourth in the standings, with 30 points from 15 games, and are seven points behind leaders Liverpool.
Ederson starts in goal for Manchester City. Kyle Walker, Ruben Dias, Nathan Ake, and Josko Gvardiol make up the defense. The midfield consists of Rodri, Mateo Kovacic, and Bernardo Silva. Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, and Julian Alvarez start up front to complete the starting XI, with Haaland and Doku missing out due to their respective injuries.
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Manchester City fans have conveyed their thoughts on X, with one fan posting:
"Another L"
Another fan wrote:
"How can we compete"
Pep Guardiola and Co. will be missing the presence of both their in-form attackers against a resilient Luton side away from home. Haaland's absence will be a massive blow as he is the Premier League's top-scorer this season, having netted 14 goals and provided four assists in 15 appearances across all competitions.
Similarly, Doku has been a revelation on the left wing for Manchester City this season. He has scored four goals and provided six assists in 19 appearances to date.
"I struggle to see him" - Pep Guardiola admits Manchester City star is unlikely to feature in starting XI
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola admitted he doesn't see himself choosing Kalvin Phillips in the starting XI before the end of the season.
The Cityzens signed Phillips from Leeds United in the summer of 2022 for a reported transfer fee of £42 million. Despite having a lot of promise as a defensive midfielder, the 28-year-old made just 21 appearances across all competitions last season, playing 593 minutes of first-team football.
Phillips' fortunes haven't improved this season and he hasn't been trusted in the Premier League, even during the absence of Rodri. He has made only eight appearances, playing just 215 minutes.
During the Luton Town pre-match press conference, Guadiola apologized to Phillips, saying (via GOAL):
"I don’t know what will happen to Kalvin Phillips. He has good character, I’m so sorry I have not picked him. I visualise my team and select a team and I struggle to see him."
Phillips will be eyeing an early exit from the Etihad in the January transfer window as he will need to keep playing to make it in the final squad for the 2024 UEFA Euros next summer.
