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Manchester City are set to make sweeping changes to their side for the Carabao Cup tie at Swansea City tonight. The Blues are chasing a place in the last eight when they travel to south Wales and will be heavy favourites against their Championship hosts. Pep Guardiola will rotate his side given the hectic fixture schedule and the likes of Erling Haaland and Gianluigi Donnarumma are expected to get the night off. It is an opportunity for squad players to stake their claim for a spot in the Premier League XI when the top flight returns on Sunday with Bournemouth the visitors to the Etihad in a clash between two of the top five. City's defeat at Aston Villa last time out could open the door for several likely starters in Swansea to earn a place in the weekend line-up. Rayan Cherki and Omar Marmoush are expected to come in to the team for the cup tie after lengthy injury absences. Cherki's only start for City so far came in the defeat to Tottenham in early August while Marmoush's came the following week at Brighton. Both need match minutes and both could play their way into the team against Bournemouth given Oscar Bobb and Savinho failed to sparkle at Villa. Marmoush is expected to lead the line in Haaland's absence but has often been utilised off the left during his time at City, while Cherki is capable of playing across the frontline. It's a similar scenario for Mateo Kovacic, who has yet to feature from the off this term for City having undergone Achilles surgery in the summer. Given Guardiola has confirmed Rodri is not ready to return and Nico Gonzalez was only deemed fit enough for the bench in the Midlands, the Croat will be hoping to serve a reminder of his ability as a natural holding player. Rico Lewis is set to come into the side, having played and impressed in midfield against Villarreal. The 20-year-old has made no secret of his desire to play further forward and has seemingly fallen out of favour at right back. An impressive showing in south Wales would at least provide Guardiola with some food for thought. James Trafford will likely get the nod in goal, although the chances of the summer signing usurping Donnarumma from the team are slim, and it's a similar situation for Nathan Ake - who was a surprise starter against Everton - but is down the defensive pecking order. --- Here at the Manchester Evening News, we’re dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester City coverage and analysis. Make sure you don’t miss out on the latest City news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe. You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day’s biggest stories. And finally, if you’d rather listen to our expert analysis then make sure to check out our Talking City podcast. Our shows are available on all podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts , and you can also watch along on YouTube .
