Manchester City Prepares for Encounter with Brighton Following Cup Defeat
The Seagulls head back to Manchester just three days after losing 4-3 on penalties in the Carabao Cup, a match that allowed Enzo Maresca’s squad to advance to a home tie against Bradford City in the next round.
Maresca confirmed on Friday that his entire squad is available for the league match except for Antoine Semenyo. The player was ruled out for around eight weeks due to a knee injury suffered against Ipswich Town, with an expected return in December.
Matheus Nunes and Iliman Ndiaye, who missed Wednesday’s cup match without an explanation from the club, are now available for selection against the Seagulls this afternoon.
Players like Erling Haaland, Ruben Dias, Josko Gvardiol, Elliot Anderson, and Gianluigi Donnarumma also make their return after being given three days off following their 2-1 loss at Aston Villa, which ended Manchester City’s seven-match winning streak in the league. Haaland has notably scored nine goals in his eight Premier League matches this season.
Maresca stated that no player is undroppable, responding to inquiries about Donnarumma, and referred to the goalkeeper’s recent dip in form as a normal occurrence despite Geronimo Rulli saving two penalties in the shootout on Wednesday.
Kadioglu returns for the trip to Manchester after sustaining an injury just five minutes into the game against Liverpool last week, though the specifics of his injury remain undisclosed.
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Hürzeler confirmed that Chema Andres is fit to play following an injury scare during the same league match, and Charalampos Kostoulas is likely to return to the matchday squad at the Etihad Stadium.
Brighton will be missing Pascal Struijk, Kaoru Mitoma, Femi Azeez, Evan Ferguson, Zadok Yohanna, and Stefanos Tzimas, with no information provided about the nature of their injuries or potential return dates.
Struijk and Azeez, both recent arrivals at the Amex Stadium, have had limited or no playing time, exacerbating the depth challenges faced by Hürzeler early in the season.
Luka Vuskovic, who transferred from Tottenham in a record deal in July, and goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen are expected to return to the starting lineup, with the Croatian international having participated in every Premier League match along with Lewis Dunk.
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Midfielder Mats Wieffer may also step back into the team, with Matt O’Riley, Malick Yalcouyé, and Georginio Rutter competing for positions after Yalcouyé and Rutter’s contributions in Wednesday’s match, and O’Riley having made a key penalty during the shootout.
Pascal Gross could be rotated to manage his energy levels following his extensive playtime in the cup tie, while Yasin Ayari, whose penalty was saved by Rulli alongside Dunk, has seen a recent decline in his performance.
Verbruggen’s anticipated return follows Jason Steele’s starting role on Wednesday, with the Netherlands international set to reclaim his position as Hürzeler’s first-choice goalkeeper on the road to face Manchester City.
The Seagulls have maintained an unbeaten streak against Manchester City, not losing in the last five encounters within 90 minutes. The last time the Blues achieved a victory in regular time against Brighton was back in May 2024 at the Amex Stadium.
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Brighton currently sits third in the Premier League, boasting the best attack in the division with 23 goals, which includes a notable 3-0 victory over Arsenal. They have never suffered a defeat against the Seagulls in 18 matches held at home.
