Manchester City continue the defence of their Premier League crown with a visit from Ipswich Town on Saturday afternoon.

A straightforward fixture on paper against the newly-promoted Tractor Boys, Man City can’t afford even a sniff of complacency as they hunt a fifth successive English top flight title. They certainly made no mistakes in their league opener, beating Chelsea 2-0 at Stamford Bridge with little fuss.

Pep Guardiola has an embarrassment of riches within his squad but he may have to make do without the talismanic Rodri on Saturday. Summer recruit Savinho also faces a race against time to be passed fit for the weekend after an impressive competitive debut at Stamford Bridge.

Here is how Man City could line up against Ipswich.

GK: Ederson – With speculation over his future now dismissed, Ederson can focus firmly on Man City. The Brazilian remains integral to Guardiola’s plans, although he almost gifted Chelsea a goal last weekend after spilling a fairly routine shot.

RB: Kyle Walker – Rico Lewis has impressed while Walker has been recovering from Euro 2024 but it may be time for the veteran defender to return to the Man City lineup now he’s back in the fold.

CB: Ruben Dias – The Portuguese didn’t put a foot wrong against Chelsea last time out and needs to maintain those high standards with John Stones returning to the squad.

CB: Manuel Akanji – Always a classy operator for Man City, the Swiss defender may be asked to step into midfield on occasion against Ipswich. It’s a job he has done effectively in the past against weaker sides.

LB: Josko Gvardiol – The former RB Leipzig man enjoyed a stellar debut season at the Etihad and is now a guaranteed starter at left-back for the Cityzens. He impressed against Chelsea in his battle with Cole Palmer.

DM: Bernardo Silva – With Rodri perhaps sitting this one out, Silva may be asked to operate in a deeper role by Guardiola. He interchanged wonderfully with Kevin De Bruyne last weekend and boasts the tactical intelligence to play anywhere for the champions.

DM: Mateo Kovacic – Kovacic was the star performer against his former employers Chelsea last time out, crowning an excellent performance with a well-taken goal late in the game.

RW: Savinho – For those who hadn’t seen Savinho in action, they now know exactly what the Brazilian is about after an encouraging and high-energy performance at Chelsea. A slight knock makes him a doubt on Saturday but he should feature.

AM: Kevin De Bruyne – A typically graceful display against Chelsea last weekend spells trouble for an Ipswich side unfamiliar with the midfielder’s brilliance. He will be essential to carving open the visitors.

LW: Jeremy Doku – If Doku could add some end product to his game, he would be unstoppable. A relentless runner against Chelsea, he caused Malo Gusto all manner of issues with his blistering pace and agility.

ST: Erling Haaland – The Scandinavian giant already has his first Premier League goal of the season and this is exactly the kind of fixture that screams hat-trick for the two-time Golden Boot winner.

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