Manchester City kick off their pre-season tour with a clash against Italian champions Inter Milan on Saturday at Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Sports Park.
The Sky Blues ended last season on a mixed note. They secured silverware with a narrow 1-0 win over Chelsea in the FA Cup final, but their Premier League campaign concluded with a disappointing 2-1 loss to Aston Villa.
This match also marks the beginning of a new era under manager Enzo Maresca. As a result, this fixture serves more as a reset than a reflection of current form, especially with the squad largely made up of academy players due to several senior stars being unavailable after the World Cup.
Manchester City team news
Manchester City approach this friendly with a significantly weakened group, relying heavily on young prospects.
Key players such as Erling Haaland, Marc Guéhi, Jérémy Doku, Rayan Cherki, Nico O’Reilly, and recent arrival Elliot Anderson are all absent as they continue their extended breaks.
In addition, Rúben Dias, Matheus Nunes, and Omar Marmoush are expected to join the squad later in the tour, meaning they will not feature in this particular game.
The squad is further impacted by injuries. Rodri is currently recovering after undergoing minor back surgery, while Jack Grealish remains in Manchester as he continues rehabilitation from a foot issue.
Elsewhere, Kalvin Phillips has not travelled amid speculation over a loan move, and John Stones has completed a transfer to Inter Milan ahead of this encounter.
Despite these setbacks, City will still have some experienced names available, including Gianluigi Donnarumma, Rico Lewis, Joško Gvardiol, Tijjani Reijnders, and Phil Foden, all of whom are expected to be involved.
Manchester City predicted lineup
Possible Manchester City starting XI: Donnarumma; Lewis, Reis, Khusanov, Ait-Nouri; Gonzalez; Savinho, Reijnders, Foden, Monga; Mubamba
When will the match kick off?
The match will kick off at 12:30pm BST on Saturday, 1st August.
How to watch Manchester City vs Inter Milan?
Fans in the UK can watch the Manchester City vs Inter Milan pre-season fixture live via Manchester City’s official streaming platform, CITY+.