Manchester City face K-League All Stars in their next pre-season friendly fixture on Wednesday at the Seoul World Cup Stadium.
K-League All Stars vs Manchester City – Match preview and team news
- Date: Wednesday, 5th August.
- Kick-off: 12pm BST.
- Venue: Seoul World Cup Stadium.
K-League All Stars team news
The K League All-Stars enter this marquee exhibition match boasting the absolute best domestic and international talent playing in South Korea today.
Jointly managed by Jeonbuk’s Chung Jung-yong and Gangwon’s Chung Kyung-ho, the hosts have put together a highly competitive, balanced squad designed to entertain the home crowd.
The midfield will be anchored by former Premier League veteran Ki Sung-yueng, whose top-tier experience will be crucial in countering City’s high-press system.
Defensively, the hosts will rely heavily on Jordan international center-back Yazan Al-Arab alongside veteran South Korean international Kim Young-gwon to absorb the European side’s attacking waves.
Looking forward, the All-Stars possess dangerous attacking threats capable of clinical counter-attacks, spearheaded by iconic playmaker Cesinha, and the physical Brazilian forward Bruno Mota, both of whom are fit and fully expected to feature in the starting eleven.
Manchester City team news
Manchester City will field a heavily rotated, transitional squad for their high-profile clash in Seoul, mixed with returning superstars and academy prospects.
Manager Enzo Maresca received a major fitness boost as Matheus Nunes, Rúben Dias, and Omar Marmoush rejoined the travelling tour group, meaning all three are expected to feature for at least a few minutes.
However, a massive chunk of the first-team core remains completely unavailable following extended post-World Cup breaks, ruling out Erling Haaland, Jérémy Doku, Marc Guéhi, Rayan Cherki, and Elliot Anderson.
On the injury front, star midfielder Rodri is sidelined following minor back surgery, while 18-year-old winger Ryan McAidoo will also miss out due to a minor shoulder issue.
Despite the heavy rotation, fans can still expect to see plenty of star power on the pitch, with Phil Foden, Savinho, Josko Gvardiol, Antoine Semenyo, and goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma all available.
Form
K-League All Stars
Because they only assemble annually for showcase exhibition games, the K League All-Stars do not have a standard multi-game form guide. However, they carry significant momentum from their previous marquee friendly, where they secured an impressive 1-0 victory over Newcastle United. Individually, the selected domestic players arrive in peak physical condition, as they are selected directly out of the highly active, ongoing 2026 K League 1 season.
Manchester City
Manchester City are just beginning their pre-season under new manager Enzo Maresca, focusing heavily on squad integration and match fitness. In their opening Asia tour fixture in Hong Kong on August 1, they played out a 1-1 draw against Inter Milan during regulation time before losing 3-1 in the subsequent penalty shootout. This match in Seoul is only their second outing of the summer schedule.
Predicted lineups
K-League All Stars: Hyeon-woo; Young-gwon, Jin-seop, Joo-sung, Tae-hwan; Sung-yeung, Soon-min, Bojanic; Farias, Cesinha, Mota
Man City: Donnarumma; Lewis, Khusanov, Gvardiol, Mfuni; Kovacic, Reijnders; Savinho, Foden, Semenyo; Mubama
How to watch K-League All Stars vs Manchester City?
In the UK, you can watch the match live exclusively on CITY+
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