Fernandinho absent for Manchester City trip to Crystal Palace due to injury

Fernandinho is absent from the Manchester City squad for their Premier League match at Crystal Palace on Sunday, with Kevin De Bruyne back in the team.

The defensive midfielder started against Tottenham in the Champions League this week but could now be a doubt for Wednesday’s second leg, with City needing to overturn a 1-0 deficit.

Speaking to Sky Sports ahead of the match at Selhurst Park, manager Pep Guardiola said: “He finished bad against Tottenham. It’s short term. I don’t know about Wednesday, but today he was not fit.”

Ilkay Gundogan starts in midfield with De Bruyne and David Silva in Fernandinho’s absence, while Bernardo Silva is back on the bench.

Leroy Sane and Benjamin Mendy are in City’s XI, too, with Riyad Mahrez, John Stones and Gabriel Jesus among the other substitutes for Pep Guardiola’s side.

How we’re lining-up this afternoon for #CRYMCI 

City XI | Ederson, Walker, Kompany (C), Laporte, Mendy, Gundogan, Silva, De Bruyne, Sane, Sterling, Aguero

Subs | Muric, Danilo, Stones, Bernardo, Mahrez, Otamendi, Jesus@haysworldwide #mancity pic.twitter.com/1MlO1jUXf3

— Manchester City (@ManCity) April 14, 2019

Andros Townsend, who scored a stunning goal in Palace’s 3-2 win against City in their last meeting, which Fernandinho also missed, starts as part of a three-pronged attack named by Roy Hodgson.

Christian Benteke leads the line and the Belgium striker will also be supported by Palace’s star man Wilfried Zaha.

City will go back to the top of the Premier League table if they win, with Liverpool in action at home to Chelsea later in the day.

Here’s the #CPFC  line-up for this afternoon’s game against @ManCity. #CRYMCI pic.twitter.com/5eKbIfM4iy

— Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) April 14, 2019