Manchester City line-up: Iliman Ndiaye starts against Coventry as Ayoub Bouaddi waits for his chance

Italian manager Enzo Maresca has named his Manchester City starting XI for the Premier League meeting with Coventry City, with Iliman Ndiaye selected from the beginning and Ayoub Bouaddi among the substitutes.

The Senegal international, who recently joined Manchester City, has been chosen to lead the attack alongside Antonio Semenyo and Erling Haaland. His inclusion is the main selection decision in a forward line containing three attacking options.

Bouaddi, the Morocco international, will begin the match on the bench. Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez is also among the replacements, meaning neither player has been selected in the starting XI for the third-round fixture.

Manchester City’s line-up is:

Gianluigi Donnarumma; Abdukodir Khusanov, Ruben Dias, Marc Guehi, Josko Gvardiol; Anderson, Nico O’Reilly; Iliman Ndiaye, Rayan Cherki, Antonio Semenyo; Erling Haaland.

The substitutes are:

Geronimo Rulli, Mateo Kovacic, Enzo Fernandez, Rayan Ait-Nouri, Matheus Nunes, Ayoub Bouaddi, Phil Foden, McAidoo and Rico Lewis.

The club published the team selection with the message:

“Your City side to face Coventry 🩵XI | Donnarumma, Khusanov, Dias (C), Guehi, Gvardiol, Anderson, O’Reilly, Ndiaye, Cherki, Semenyo, HaalandSUBS | Rulli, Kovacic, Fernandez, Ait-Nouri, Nunes, Bouaddi, Foden, McAidoo, Lewis🤝@etihadpic.twitter.com/Pl88ZkjL5O”

Ruben Dias captains the side, with Donnarumma starting in goal behind a defence of Khusanov, Guehi and Gvardiol. Anderson and O’Reilly are named in midfield, while Rayan Cherki is included between Ndiaye, Semenyo and Haaland in the attacking set-up.

The bench provides further attacking and midfield alternatives, including Foden, Kovacic, Nunes, Fernandez and Bouaddi. Rulli is the reserve goalkeeper, while Ait-Nouri, McAidoo and Lewis complete the substitutes.

Manchester City go into the match top of the Premier League with six points. The fixture is the club’s third league game of the season, while the starting line-up confirms that Ndiaye has been given an immediate opportunity to make an impact after joining the squad.

The selection also leaves Bouaddi waiting for a possible introduction from the bench, with Maresca opting for experience and established attacking players at the start of the match.

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