“Needs to start ASAP”: Seven potential Man City changes before “hugely important” Bayer Leverkusen Champions League clash

Manchester City expert Steven McInerney from Esteemed Kompany has told Sports Mole that Omar Marmoush “needs to start ASAP” and has backed the attacker to feature in Tuesday’s Champions League clash with Bayer Leverkusen.

Marmoush experienced a disrupted start to the 2025-26 season after sustaining a knee injury on international duty with Egypt in September, forcing him to miss seven matches in all competitions.

The 26-year-old has since started in only one of Man City’s last eight games – playing the full 90 minutes in a 3-1 EFL Cup win over Swansea City in October – and has featured six times as as substitute.

Five of those cameo appearances off the bench lasted for no more than eight minutes, including his most recent outing as a late substitute in the Citizens’ 2-1 defeat at Newcastle United in the Premier League.

Considering that City missed several good opportunities to score against Newcastle and Guardiola’s team have been heavily reliant on the prolific form of Erling Haaland up front, McInerney believes that Marmoush should be given a chance to start in City’s attack against Leverkusen at the Etihad Stadium.

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Marmoush one of seven players who could be recalled to Man City XI against Leverkusen

“I think Marmoush needs to start ASAP,” McInerney told Sports Mole. “I don’t know for who or where, but when you look at the chances that we missed against Newcastle, it feels like an absolute certainty for me [for Marmoush] to get some minutes.”

Marmoush may struggled to force his way into Guardiola’s lineup ahead of in-form Jeremy Doku on the left flank, but the versatile attacker is capable of operating in a central position behind Haaland or on the right wing, where both Savinho and Oscar Bobb have struggled to make their mark this term.

Man City’s No.7 scored eight goals in 22 games during the second half of last season following his £59m arrival from Eintracht Frankfurt in January – only bettered by Haaland – while his only goal scored this term was in the aforementioned EFL Cup win over Swansea in which he started.

McInerney does not expect Guardiola to make wholesale changes to his starting lineup against Leverkusen following City’s loss to Newcastle, but he has picked out seven players who could be in contention to earn a recall on Tuesday.

Along with Marmoush, one of Savinho or Bobb may be handed a start on either flank, while John Stones, Rico Lewis, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Tijjani Reijnders could also be selected in Guardiola’s first XI.

“I’m expecting a little bit (of rotation),” said McInerney. “I don’t think there’s going to be loads of changes. I think John Stones tends to come in for these games. Maybe Stones [starts] in defence with one of the others sitting out (Ruben Dias or Josko Gvardiol).

“I think there’s actually a chance we might see Bobb or Savinho start. I know Savinho didn’t have a great cameo (against Newcastle) and neither did Bobb. I think Reijnders has got a decent chance of starting as well.

Cherki to drop out of Man City starting lineup against Leverkusen?

“Rico Lewis gets minutes in the Champions League quite often. I think there’s a decent chance he’ll play as well. Maybe not, though.

“Ait-Nouri could get a start potentially. [Nico] O’Reilly’s done nothing wrong, but it’s the kind of game where I can imagine Ait-Nouri getting a run out (at left-back), just because it’s going have to happen at some point. At home against Leverkusen, when we’re in decent form, I can potentially see that.

“Having said that, Guardiola still might go for nine or 10 out of the 11 that started the other day and ask them to fix the mistakes, so to speak. I do think he’s got his head sort of set on an 11 at the moment, which he likes.”

McInerney also feels that playmaker Rayan Cherki may begin as a substitute on Tuesday after starting against Newcastle, even though he is “much more suited” to play against Leverkusen.

“I think there’s a decent chance Cherki drops out of this actually,” he added. “I think he might be on the bench for this one. I wouldn’t have played him against Newcastle personally, so I was generally surprised he did.

“I guess the logic is that he has to sort of learn on the job, so to speak, the intensity of the Premier League. I think he’s much more suited to this game (against Leverkusen), weirdly, but I still think he’ll probably sit this one out.

“I can see a few changes. Maybe there’ll be one out wide, there’ll be one in defence and potentially one in midfield. There’ll be one across each position, with Haaland and [Gianluigi] Donnarumma sort of untouchable.”

Man City backed to collect “magical number” of UCL points for last-16 qualification

Man City enter matchday five of the Champions League sitting fourth in the 36-team table and in a strong position to qualify automatically for the last 16 after enduring a difficult League Phase campaign last season, finishing 22nd and scraping into the playoffs.

The Citizens are yet to lose in the League Phase (W3 D1) and most recently beat Leverkusen’s Bundesliga rivals Borussia Dortmund by a 4-1 scoreline at the Etihad three weeks ago.

McInerney is confident that Guardiola’s men will secure safe passage through to the last 16 and has backed them to prevail in their crucial clash with Leverkusen, before preparing for fixtures against Real Madrid, Bodo/Glimt and Galatasaray.

“Hugely important. I think City will win this,” said McInerney. “[City would have] 13 points at that point (if they beat Leverkusen). They say 15 points is sort of the magical number to get top eight qualification. I think City have been much better in the Champions League this season.

“[This is] a chance to right those wrongs from the Newcastle game. It’s huge. If you win your home games, you’ve got a massive chance, and then get something away at one of Bodo/Glimt or Real Madrid – you’d expect City to beat the Norwegian side – and you’re probably through.

“I think City will finish top eight. I think they’re going to win this game, and I think they’ll probably beat Galatasaray as well. I think we’ll be absolutely fine.”

He added: “This is probably a tough time to be Leverkusen after that City loss. It’s such a cliche, but I do think the best time to fix a mistake is immediately the game after it, and I think at home, thankfully not away, City should have too much for this Leverkusen side.

“I’m expecting a renewed purpose maybe and an urge to fix the mistakes of the Newcastle game, which there were plenty of. I think it’s a good challenge while not being too much for us. I’m expecting a reasonably comfortable win.

“They’re a very similar level of side to Dortmund and City were impressive against Dortmund. I think we should have more than enough to expose Leverkusen. They aren’t Newcastle, they’re a very different side and I think we should have enough there to beat them.”

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