Erling Haaland is not even in the squad as Man City host Liverpool on Sunday, with Pep Guardiola making four changes from their 3-1 loss at Real Madrid.
Haaland had been considered a doubt heading into Sunday’s 4.30pm kickoff but cynics on Merseyside expected the striker to start.
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But with team news confirmed 75 minutes before kickoff at the Etihad it was revealed that he had not even made the bench.
Instead winter signing Omar Marmoush is expected to lead the line, with Guardiola opting for four changes elsewhere just days after a humbling in Madrid.
Nathan Ake and Rico Lewis come in for Ruben Dias and the injured John Stones in defence, while Kevin De Bruyne and Jeremy Doku replace Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gundogan having been rested in midweek.
Man City: Ederson; Lewis, Khusanov, Ake, Gvardiol; Gonzalez, De Bruyne, Foden; Savinho, Doku, Marmoush
Substitutes: Ortega, Dias, Reis, Kovacic, Nunes, Silva, Gundogan, McAtee, Grealish
Man City fell to a Kylian Mbappe hat-trick in the second leg of their Champions League knockout playoff, with new arrival Nico Gonzalez netting a late consolation.
But perhaps knowing the result was always going to go in Real Madrid‘s way Guardiola opted to leave the likes of De Bruyne, Doku and Lewis unused.
Whether that means Man City will be quick out the blocks against Liverpool remains to be seen, but Arne Slot and his players will not be expecting an easy afternoon.
Confirmed Liverpool lineup vs. Man City – 1 change
Slot has made one change to his own side from the 2-2 draw at Aston Villa on Wednesday night with Luis Diaz taking over from Diogo Jota in attack.
It means four midfielders start the game again, with Curtis Jones or Dominik Szoboszlai set to be the more advanced option as part of the attack.
The decision comes with Darwin Nunez overlooked after criticism of his work rate at Villa Park, while Cody Gakpo is only deemed fit enough for the bench after missing two games with an ankle injury
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