Walker misses out but De Bruyne makes Man City´s bench for FA Cup clash with Liverpool

Kyle Walker and Kevin De Bruyne lost their race to be fit to start for Manchester City in Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final against Liverpool.

The duo were doubts after suffering knocks in the Champions League clash with Atletico Madrid in midweek.

While De Bruyne was named among the City substitutes for the meeting between the Premier League titles at Wembley – the second encounter between the sides in the space of six days – Walker missed out altogether.

Ruben Dias was also included on the City bench after being out since late February due to injury, with a pairing of John Stones and Nathan Ake tasked with stopping Liverpool’s forward line of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Luis Diaz.

Zack Steffen replaced Ederson in goal, while there were also starts for Jack Grealish, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling.

Fernandinho took the captain’s armband after replacing Rodri in midfield, just days after revealing he intends to leave City at the end of the season.

 TEAM NEWS IS IN! 

XI | Steffen, Cancelo, Stones, Ake, Zinchenko, Fernandinho (C), Bernardo, Foden, Grealish, Jesus, Sterling

SUBS | Ederson, Dias, Gundogan, Laporte, Rodrigo, De Bruyne, Mahrez, Delap, Lavia#ManCity | @HaysTechnology pic.twitter.com/St02EGyzIv

— Manchester City (@ManCity) April 16, 2022

Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson was left out of Jurgen Klopp’s starting XI, with a midfield of Fabinho, Thiago Alcantara and Naby Keita.

Salah and Mane returned after being named on the bench in the Champions League against Benfica in midweek, while Ibrahima Konate was again preferred to Joel Matip in defence alongside Virgil van Dijk.

Your Reds to face @ManCity today! #EmiratesFACup | #MCILIV

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) April 16, 2022